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
Family Reportedly Discovers ChatGPT Logs Detailing Suicidal Ideation Prior to Daughter's Death
In August 2025, The New York Times published an essay by journalist Laura Reiley linking her daughter Sophie Rottenberg's suicide earlier that year to sustained interactions with a ChatGPT-based chatbot she called "Harry." Logs reportedly showed Sophie confiding suicidal ideation and receiving supportive but non-escalatory advice, as well as help drafting her suicide note.
Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT Reportedly Cited Fraudulent Cruise Hotline, Allegedly Enabling Successful Scam
Google's AI Overviews allegedly surfaced a fraudulent customer service number for Royal Caribbean. Consumer Alex Rivlin reportedly called the number, spoke with an impostor, and provided his credit card, later incurring $768 in fraudulent charges. The same number reportedly appeared in ChatGPT results and was linked to Disney and Princess cruises, purportedly showing how scammers are manipulating AI outputs to amplify longstanding hotline scams.
Purported AI Monitoring Software Reportedly Flags Unsent Joke Threat, Leading to Arizona Student Suspension
AI monitoring software on a school-issued laptop reportedly flagged a Marana High School (of Arizona) student's allegedly unsent joke email containing a violent threat. The message was reportedly typed at home in front of his mother, was never sent, and deemed non-credible by the principal. The district's zero-tolerance policy nonetheless resulted in a reported 45-day suspension, and the family is suing, alleging the punishment violated the student's rights.
Purported Oprah Deepfake Reportedly Induced Utah Woman to Buy Misrepresented Weight Loss Supplements
A Utah woman, Lisa Swearingen, reported paying more than $400 for weight loss supplements after seeing online ads featuring a purported Oprah Winfrey deepfake endorsement. When the product arrived, she said its primary ingredient was turmeric rather than the advertised formula.
Alleged Marine Park Orca Attack on 'Jessica Radcliffe' Reportedly an AI-Generated Hoax
Fact-checkers reported that a viral video claiming to show a marine trainer named Jessica Radcliffe killed by an orca was purportedly fabricated. Investigations found no record of Radcliffe's existence or of such an attack. The video reportedly used AI-generated voiceovers and unrelated footage, borrowing details from real orca incidents to appear credible. The hoax reportedly spread widely online over social media.
Grok Imagine Reportedly Produces Nonconsensual Taylor Swift Deepfake Nudes Without Explicit Prompting
The Verge reported that xAI's Grok Imagine video generator allegedly produced nonconsensual deepfake nudes of Taylor Swift without explicit prompting. Journalist Jess Weatherbed reportedly stated the images appeared the first time she used "spicy" mode on a Coachella-themed prompt, without attempting to circumvent safeguards.
ChatGPT Reportedly Suggests Sodium Bromide as Chloride Substitute, Leading to Bromism and Hospitalization
A published medical case report describes a 60-year-old man hospitalized for three weeks with severe bromide toxicity (bromism) after replacing dietary sodium chloride with sodium bromide purchased online. The patient reported making this substitution following consultation with ChatGPT, which allegedly suggested bromide as a chloride substitute without safety warnings. The harm included psychosis, electrolyte imbalances, dermatologic changes, and micronutrient deficiencies.
ChatGPT Allegedly Reinforced Delusions Before Greenwich, Connecticut Murder-Suicide
On August 5, 2025, Greenwich, CT police found Suzanne Eberson Adams (83) and her son Stein-Erik Soelberg (56) dead in a murder-suicide. Prior months of logs and videos reportedly show Soelberg engaging extensively with a ChatGPT bot ("Bobby") that is alleged to have repeatedly affirmed delusional beliefs (e.g., surveillance, poisoning) and encouraged interpretations consistent with persecution. OpenAI said it contacted police and is working on safety updates.
Purportedly AI-Generated Image of British Army Colonels Captured in Ukraine Reportedly Circulates in Russian Media
Purported Russian-aligned outlet EADaily published an unverified claim that two British Army colonels had been captured in Ukraine, supported by a reportedly AI-generated image that contained visual and textual anomalies, and the named individuals ("Edward Blake" and "Richard Carroll") reportedly do not appear in UK military records. No credible evidence reportedly supports the claim; it was allegedly amplified by aligned websites and political figures as part of a disinformation pattern.
Microsoft's Windows Recall Allegedly Stores Passwords and Social Security Numbers in Preview Mode
Microsoft's Windows Recall, an AI-powered screenshot and retrieval tool for Copilot+ PCs, was allegedly still capturing sensitive information such as passwords, Social Security numbers, and bank details despite a built-in "filter sensitive information" feature. Independent testing reportedly found the filter failed in multiple cases. Microsoft reportedly classified Recall as a preview feature and said improvements were in progress.
Gaggle AI Monitoring at Lawrence, Kansas High School Reportedly Misflags Student Content and Blocks Emails
In Lawrence, Kansas, students allege the Gaggle Safety Management AI wrongly flagged benign schoolwork, including art photos and casual messages, as child pornography or threats. The system reportedly deleted content, blocked an email records request, and led to questioning of students. Critics cite chilling effects and privacy risks. A lawsuit filed in August 2025 challenges the district's use of Gaggle as unconstitutional surveillance. Gaggle reportedly denies compromising privacy.
Reported Public Exposure of Over 100,000 LLM Conversations via Share Links Indexed by Search Engines and Archived
Across 2024 and 2025, the share features in multiple LLM platforms, including ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Qwen, Mistral, and Grok, allegedly exposed user conversations marked "discoverable" to search engines and archiving services. Over 100,000 chats were reportedly indexed and later scraped, purportedly revealing API keys, access tokens, personal identifiers, and sensitive business data.
ChatGPT Allegedly Encouraged 23-Year-Old Texas User's Suicide During Extended Conversations
A 23-year-old Texas man, Zane Shamblin, reportedly died by suicide after extended conversations with ChatGPT in which the AI allegedly encouraged his plans and offered emotional affirmation. His parents filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in November 2025, claiming OpenAI's newer model, designed for more human-like rapport, lacked adequate crisis safeguards and contributed to his death.
ChatGPT Reportedly Generated Ritual Scripts Containing Instructions for Self-Harm and Symbolic Violence in Response to Thematic Prompts
ChatGPT reportedly generated detailed instructions for self-harm, bloodletting, and symbolic violence in response to prompts about occult ritual practices, including references to Molech. Outputs reportedly included anatomical advice for cutting, cauterization rituals, and ceremonial scripts invoking Satan. The responses reportedly appeared on both free and paid versions of ChatGPT.
Google Gemini CLI Reportedly Deletes User Files After Misinterpreting Command Sequence
Product manager Anuraag Gupta reported that Google's Gemini CLI AI coding assistant permanently deleted his files after misinterpreting a failed directory creation command. The tool allegedly proceeded as if the directory existed, causing a series of move operations that overwrote all but one file. Attempts to revert reportedly failed, and the AI acknowledged an "unacceptable, irreversible failure."