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
iRobot Roomba J7 R&D Images Reportedly Appeared in Private Online Groups After Data Labeling
Images reportedly captured in 2020 by development versions of iRobot's Roomba J7 robot vacuum during an AI training data project were sent to Scale AI for labeling and later appeared in private Facebook, Discord, and other online groups. Reporting described some images as showing sensitive household scenes.
Finnish Police Were Reportedly Reprimanded After National Bureau of Investigation Unit Allegedly Used Clearview AI to Identify Potential Abuse Victims
Finland's Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman reportedly reprimanded the National Police Board after a National Bureau of Investigation child sexual exploitation unit allegedly used Clearview AI in late 2019 or early 2020 to identify potential child sexual abuse victims. Four NBI users reportedly made about 120 searches during a free trial without controller approval or prior assessment of how uploaded biometric data would be handled.
COVID-19 Detection and Prognostication Models Allegedly Flagged for Methodological Flaws and Underlying Biases
Peer-review of papers about COVID-19 detection and prognostication algorithms from 2020, including deployed models, revealed none to be ready for clinical use, due to methodological flaws and underlying biases such as lacking external validation or not specifying data sources and model training details.
Tesla Vehicle Running on Self-Driving Mode Crashes on City Streets
A Tesla vehicle running in self-driving mode outside the operating conditions supported by the software crashed and injured the driver. Subsequently, the driver filed a lawsuit against Tesla and a jury found no damages were warranted.
Sleeping Driver on Tesla AutoPilot
A Tesla Model S remained on autopilot while being operated by a drunk, sleeping operator whose hands were not on the wheel. The police had to slow the car down by slowing in front of the vehicle to activate its 'driver assist' feature .
Two Cruise Autonomous Vehicles Collided with Each Other in California
In San Francisco, an autonomous Cruise Chevrolet Bolt collided with another Cruise vehicle driven by a Cruise human employee, causing minor scuffs to the cars but no human injuries.
Driverless Train in Delhi Crashes due to Braking Failure
A driverless metro train in Delhi, India crashed during a test run due to faulty brakes.
Robot Deployed by Animal Shelter to Patrol Sidewalks outside Its Office, Warding off Homeless People in San Francisco
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) deployed a Knightscope robot to autonomously patrol the area outside its office and ward off homeless people, which was criticized by residents as a tool of intimidation and ordered by the city of San Francisco to stop its use on a public right-of-way.
Las Vegas Self-Driving Bus Involved in Accident
A self-driving public shuttle by Keolis North America and Navya was involved in a collision with a human-driven delivery truck in Las Vegas, Nevada on its first day of service.
Robot at a Chinese Tech Fair Smashed a Glass Booth, Injuring a Visitor
At the 18th China Hi-Tech Fair, a robot suddenly smashed through a glass booth and injured a visitor, after a staff member reportedly mistakenly pressed a button, causing it to reverse and accelerate.
Dutch City Court Defended Home Value Generated by Black-Box Algorithm
A home value generated by a black-box algorithm was reportedly defended by the Castricum court, which was criticized by a legal specialist for setting a dangerous precedent for accepting black-box algorithms as long as their results appear reasonable.
Facebook's 'Tag Suggestions' Allegedly Stored Biometric Data without User Consent
Facebook's initial version of the its Tag Suggestions feature where users were offered suggestions about the identity of people's faces in photos allegedly stored biometric data without consent, violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.
NJ Transit's Use of Modeling Software Miscalculated Storm Surge Threat Level
New Jersey Transit's use of a federal government storm modeling software underestimated the threat of storm surges to the Meadows Maintenance Complex, leaving millions of dollars worth of equipment in the rail yard before Hurricane Sandy struck.