AI Incidents
Real-world cases where AI systems caused harm, classified by risk domain and entity. Data sourced from 
AIID and classified by 
MIT AI Risk Initiative. CC BY-SA 4.0
961 incidents
Amazon's Alexa Reportedly Shows Political Preference Error in Trump-Harris Presidential Race Queries
Amazon's Alexa was found to provide politically biased responses when asked about the 2024 presidential candidates. It refused to give reasons to vote for Donald Trump, citing neutrality, while offering detailed endorsements for Kamala Harris. Amazon labeled the discrepancy an "error" and reportedly corrected it.
Clearview AI Reportedly Faces $33.7 Million Fine for Violating GDPR with Biometric Data Harvesting
Clearview AI was reportedly fined $33.7 million by the Dutch data protection authority for allegedly creating an illegal facial recognition database by scraping billions of images from the Internet without consent. The company allegedly used AI to convert these images into biometric data and sold the service to law enforcement. This act was reportedly in violation of privacy laws and the GDPR.
53% of American and British Businesses Report Attacks by AI-Powered Deepfake Scams in 2024
According to Medius, Deepfake scams have targeted 53% of businesses in the U.S. and U.K., with 43% falling victim. Using AI to create realistic fake videos and audio of corporate executives, scammers have successfully stolen millions, including $25 million from British engineering group Arup.
Russian Disinformation Campaign Allegedly Used Fake News Site 'KBSF-San Francisco News' and Deepfake Video to Falsely Accuse Kamala Harris of 2011 Hit-and-Run
A Russian disinformation campaign allegedly used a fake news site, "KBSF-San Francisco News," and an AI-generated deepfake video to falsely accuse Kamala Harris of a 2011 hit-and-run accident in San Francisco. The deepfake featured a fabricated African-American victim, whose AI-generated testimony spread widely across social media. Microsoft identified the hoax as part of Russian cyber influence operations targeting the 2024 U.S. election, with the site registered in Iceland.
Purportedly AI-Manipulated Video Reportedly Misrepresented Bulgarian DPS Figure Ahmed Dogan and Spread via TikTok and Facebook
A reportedly AI-manipulated video appeared to repurpose footage of Ahmed Dogan, honorary chairman of Bulgaria's Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), by overlaying synthetic audio that made him seem to urge party members to protest in defense of his wealth. The clip reportedly originated from a satirical TikTok account and was later circulated on Facebook by anonymous profiles.
South Korea Reportedly Experienced a Surge of Explicit Deepfake Pornography
At the end of August 2024, South Korean authorities reportedly began investigating a significant surge in the creation and dissemination, often via Telegram, of explicit deepfake pornography created without consent from the stolen social media content of female classmates, teachers, and neighbors.
Generative AI Allegedly Used to Facilitate $255,000 Real Estate Fraud Scheme
A real estate scam is reported to have used AI-generated phishing emails to impersonate a title company lawyer, tricking homebuyer Raegan Bartlo into wiring $255,000 to a fraudulent account. The emails were alleged to be convincing, with no grammatical errors or tone issues. Bartlo recovered part of the funds but lost $112,000.
Megalopolis Trailer Included Fake AI-Generated Quotes Attributed to Film Critics
Lionsgate pulled the trailer for "Megalopolis" after it was discovered to contain fake quotes from well-known film critics, generated by AI. The quotes falsely criticized Francis Ford Coppola's previous films. The incident was attributed to an error in vetting by marketing consultant Eddie Egan. Lionsgate has since parted ways with Egan and apologized to Coppola and the critics affected by the fabricated content.
Chatbot in Workplace Training at Bunbury Prison Reveals Real Names in Sexual Harassment Case
During workplace training at Bunbury Prison in Western Australia, a trainer used Microsoft's Copilot AI chatbot to generate case study scenarios. The chatbot produced a scenario that included the real name of a former employee involved in a sexual harassment case, revealing sensitive information.
Trump Reportedly Shares Purportedly AI-Generated Images Falsely Suggesting Taylor Swift Endorsement
Donald Trump reportedly shared images that were purportedly generated by AI on social media that are alleged to have depicted Taylor Swift endorsing him for the upcoming election. The images reportedly included Swift dressed as Uncle Sam and fans wearing "Swifties for Trump" shirts.
Microsoft Copilot Falsely Accuses Journalist Martin Bernklau of Crimes
Microsoft's Copilot is reported to have falsely accused veteran court reporter Martin Bernklau of committing serious crimes, including child abuse and fraud. The tool is described as having generated defamatory content that not only accused Bernklau of multiple crimes he covered as a journalist but also provided his personal contact details. Attempts by Microsoft to remove the false entries were only temporarily successful, as the defamatory information reportedly reappeared.
San Francisco City Attorney Sues Operators of AI Deepfake Pornography Websites for Violations of State and Federal Law
In August 2024, the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against 16 websites accused of using generative AI to create and distribute nonconsensual pornographic deepfakes, including images of minors. The sites, which had over 200 million visits in six months, invited users to upload real images to generate explicit fakes. By March 2025, 11 of the targeted websites had shut down following legal pressure.
ChatGPT Allegedly Defamed Norwegian User by Inventing Child Homicide and Imprisonment
In August 2024, ChatGPT is reported to have falsely claimed that Norwegian citizen Arve Hjalmar Holmen had killed his two sons and been sentenced to 21 years in prison. The fabricated response allegedly included specific details about the supposed crime, despite Holmen never being accused or convicted of any offense. The incident prompted a GDPR complaint for defamation and inaccurate personal data.
Grok AI Reportedly Generates Offensive and Violent Images Without Proper Safeguards
Elon Musk’s Grok AI, launched on X, generated offensive and violent images without adequate safety controls. The AI produced deepfakes of public figures like Taylor Swift, Kamala Harris, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as copyrighted characters such as Mickey Mouse in inappropriate scenarios. Despite claiming adherence to certain content guidelines, Grok's outputs included politically charged and explicit imagery
Deepfake Elon Musk Videos Have Reportedly Contributed to Billions in Fraud
Scammers used AI to create deepfake videos of Elon Musk promoting fraudulent investment opportunities. Over time, these scams have reportedly led to billions in investor losses. The deepfakes also use voice cloning technology. They have been distributed on social media and YouTube. In particular, they target the elderly, such as 82-year-old Steve Beauchamp, to invest significant sums. Despite efforts by platforms to remove these videos, the scams continue to proliferate.