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
58 incidents
COEMPT Quality Assurance Engineers Allegedly Violated Indian CBSE Student Data Privacy Rights by Processing It with Google Gemini
The Hindu reported that vulnerabilities in the OnMark exam-marking portal used by India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) allegedly exposed sensitive student data, including answer-sheet images. Ethical hacker Nisarga Adhikary also alleged that COEMPT Eduteck quality-assurance scripts processed students' personal information through Google Gemini. CBSE said the vulnerabilities had been contained.
Washington State DOL's AI Phone System Reportedly Failed to Provide Spanish-Language Service to Callers Requesting Spanish
For months, callers to the Washington State Department of Licensing who selected Spanish reportedly received AI-generated English responses spoken with a Spanish accent rather than actual Spanish-language service. The agency reportedly apologized and said staff configuration caused the error, which purportedly created accessibility problems for callers seeking language support.
Ars Technica Retracted Article After Purportedly AI-Generated Text Was Presented as Direct Quotes From Matplotlib Maintainer
Ars Technica retracted an article after purportedly AI-generated text was presented as direct quotations from a source who disputed having said them. The editor-in-chief reportedly acknowledged a standards failure and said the publication was not consistent with Ars policy on AI-generated material, and apologized to readers and to matplotlib maintainer Scott Shambaugh. An author reportedly later said he had inadvertently used an AI-paraphrased version of the source text as quotes.
Moltbook Database Exposure Allegedly Revealed Users' Private Communications and API Authentication Tokens
Wiz researchers reported accessing an exposed Moltbook database in under three minutes, allegedly obtaining ~35,000 email addresses, thousands of private DMs, and ~1.5 million API authentication tokens. The exposure was described as enabling read/write access and potential impersonation or manipulation of "AI agent" accounts. Wiz said it disclosed the issue to Moltbook, which reportedly secured the database within hours and deleted accessed data.
Automated Shuttle Bus Was Reportedly Rear-Ended During U.S. Department of Transportation Demonstration Ride in Washington, D.C.
An automated shuttle bus operated by Beep was reportedly involved in a minor collision during a U.S. Department of Transportation demonstration ride in Washington, D.C. The vehicle, operating autonomously with a human safety driver onboard, was reportedly rear-ended by a Tesla whose driver made an illegal lane change. No injuries were reported, and officials stated the autonomous system functioned appropriately.
School's Suspected AI-Cheating Allegation Precedes Student's Reported Suicide in Greater Noida, India
A 16-year-old student in Greater Noida, India, reportedly died by suicide after being questioned by school authorities over suspected use of AI tools during a pre-board examination. The student's family alleges she was publicly reprimanded and mentally harassed following the incident, contributing to severe distress. School officials deny harassment and state disciplinary actions followed exam rules.
Attorney in Fletcher v. Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Reportedly Submitted Reply Brief with Purportedly AI-Generated Material Misrepresentations
In Fletcher v. Experian Information Solutions, Inc., the Fifth Circuit found that attorney Heather Hersh had used generative AI to draft a substantial portion of a reply brief that contained fabricated legal support and factual representations. The court first issued a show-cause order and later imposed a $2,500 sanction, linking the filing errors to unverified AI-generated output.
Secret Desires AI Platform Reportedly Exposed Nearly Two Million Sensitive Images in Cloud Storage Leak
The erotic AI chatbot and image-generation platform Secret Desires reportedly left nearly two million sensitive images and videos publicly exposed in misconfigured cloud storage. The leaked files reportedly included personal photos, workplace and university information, and explicit AI-generated deepfakes of women and girls. The content reportedly became inaccessible shortly after journalists contacted the platform.
Reported Disqualification of Two Books from the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards Due to Alleged AI-Generated Cover Art
Organizers of the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards reportedly disqualified two fiction books after it was reportedly determined their cover illustrations were produced using AI-assisted tools, rendering the works ineligible under newly introduced award criteria. The publisher reportedly confirmed AI involvement in the jacket designs. The authors were not implicated in the artwork decisions but were nonetheless removed from consideration for the 2026 running.
AI Training Dataset for Detecting Nudity Allegedly Found to Contain CSAM Images of Identified Victims
An image dataset, NudeNet, used to train systems for detecting nudity was reportedly found to contain CSAM images, including material involving identified or known victims. According to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, the dataset had been widely downloaded and cited in academic research prior to discovery. The images were allegedly included without vetting, exposing researchers to legal risk and perpetuating harm to victims. The dataset was subsequently removed following notification.
Purported Fictitious AI-Generated Citations in Supreme Court of Victoria Murder Case Filing Lead to Delay and King's Counsel Apology
Australian defense lawyer Rishi Nathwani KC reportedly filed submissions in a Supreme Court of Victoria murder case that included allegedly fictitious quotes and nonexistent case citations purportedly generated by AI. The errors were reportedly discovered by the judge's associates, causing a 24-hour delay in the proceedings. Nathwani apologized in court, taking full responsibility, while Justice James Elliott criticized the incident and reiterated that AI outputs must be independently verified.
Chris Cuomo Amplifies Reportedly Labeled Deepfake Video of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Purportedly Contributing to Misleading Political Narrative
NewsNation host Chris Cuomo reportedly shared on Instagram a video of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that was prominently labeled as a parody deepfake created with AI technology. In his commentary, Cuomo purportedly treated the statements in the video as genuine, using them to criticize Ocasio-Cortez for his audience.
CISA Acting Director Reportedly Uploaded Sensitive Government Documents to Public ChatGPT Instance
Madhu Gottumukkala, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), reportedly uploaded government contracting documents marked "for official use only" into a public version of ChatGPT. The uploads reportedly triggered automated cybersecurity alerts and prompted a Department of Homeland Security review to assess potential exposure of sensitive information.
McDonald's McHire AI Recruitment Platform Reportedly Exposed Data of 64 Million Applicants via Default Login and API Vulnerability
Researchers Ian Carroll and Sam Curry reported that McDonald's AI-powered hiring tool, McHire (using Paradox.ai's "Olivia" chatbot), could purportedly be accessed via default admin credentials and an insecure direct object reference in an internal API. The flaws allegedly allowed viewing of applicants' personally identifiable information and chat histories. McDonald's and Paradox reportedly patched the issues within a day of disclosure; Paradox stated only five records were accessed.
Argentine Court Reportedly Annuls Criminal Conviction After Judge Allegedly Used ChatGPT to Draft Ruling Without Disclosure
The Penal Chamber of Esquel, Argentina, reportedly annulled a June 2025 robbery conviction after determining that Judge Carlos Rogelio Richeri had allegedly used ChatGPT to draft part of the ruling without disclosure or human oversight. A copied phrase purportedly exposed AI authorship, prompting findings of due-process violations and data-handling concerns. The case was reassigned, and the Chubut Superior Court opened an ethics investigation.