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
526 incidents
Norwegian Supreme Court Receives Legal Filing with Fabricated Citations Allegedly Generated by AI Tool
In early 2025, Norway’s Supreme Court (Høyesterett) received a legal filing containing hallucinated legal citations and quotes, allegedly inserted by an attorney using an AI tool without verification. The fabricated sources were detected during standard review. While no sanctions were issued, the Court updated its guidance to lawyers, warning that AI use does not exempt them from professional responsibility.
Deepfake Job Applicant Allegedly Used AI Tools to Apply for Remote Role at U.S. Security Startup
Voice authentication startup Pindrop Security reported a job candidate used deepfake software and other AI tools in an attempted scam. This is part of a growing trend in international scammers using AI tools to apply for remote US-based jobs, sometimes successfully.
Malaysian Teenager Allegedly Arrested for Creating and Selling AI-Generated Deepfake Images of Schoolmates and Alumni in Johor
Authorities in Johor, Malaysia reportedly arrested a 16-year-old student who allegedly used AI-enabled tools to generate and sell deepfake images depicting schoolmates and former students. According to police, the images were created from social media photos and distributed online for payment. The alleged activity affected dozens of victims, including minors, some of whom may have been unaware of the misuse.
Reported Darknet Launch of Xanthorox AI Introduces Autonomous Cyberattack Platform
Xanthorox AI is a malicious, modular AI system released on darknet forums in early 2025. Designed from scratch for offensive cyber operations, it runs on private infrastructure and includes models for code generation, phishing, malware, social engineering, and real-time voice/image input. Its release represents a deliberate deployment of an autonomous attack platform.
Alleged Deepfake Investment Scam in Spain Defrauds 208 Victims of €19 million ($20.9 million)
Spanish police arrested six individuals allegedly behind a €19M ($20.9M) global investment scam powered by AI. The operation used deepfake ads featuring national celebrities to deceive victims, many of whom were selected through targeting algorithms. Scammers posed as financial advisors and fake officials, cycling through romance baiting, investment fraud, and recovery scams. AI-generated content amplified trust and engagement.
Hong Kong Syndicate Allegedly Used AI-Generated Facial Composites to Open Bank Accounts
Hong Kong police reportedly arrested eight individuals accused of using purportedly AI-generated facial composites to open bank accounts with altered ID photos. Of 44 applications, 30 reportedly succeeded after passing online identity checks. The accounts were then allegedly used to apply for loans and make credit card purchases totaling HK$860,000, and to launder over HK$1.2 million in suspected criminal proceeds. Police linked the operation to local triad-affiliated fraud networks.
Deepfake of Bermuda Premier David Burt Promotes Investment Scam Using Royal Gazette Branding
The Government of Bermuda warned the public about a deepfake video circulating on Facebook that falsely portrayed Premier David Burt promoting a government investment scheme. The deepfake video reportedly mimicked the branding of The Royal Gazette and was linked to fraudulent social media accounts. Authorities confirmed the content was fake and urged the public to report such scams and to be vigilant about them.
Essex Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Having Generated and Shared Deepfake Pornography of at Least 20 Women and a Minor
Between March 2023 and May 2024, Brandon Tyler of Essex used AI to generate explicit deepfake pornography of at least 20 women he knew personally, including a 16-year-old. He manipulated their social media photos and shared them, along with their personal details, in online forums promoting sexual violence. He was sentenced to five years in prison in April 2025 under the UK's criminal law against sharing sexually explicit deepfakes, in what is one of the first major prosecutions of its kind.
AI Voice Clone of Texas Woman Used in Distress Scam Targeting Brother in Port Neches
Jace Edgar of Port Neches, Texas reportedly received a scam phone call using AI-generated voice cloning to mimic his sister in distress. Believing she had been in an accident, Edgar began to act before noticing the caller avoided direct questions. When he contacted his sister, she was unharmed and unaware of the call. Authorities confirmed this was part of a broader rise in AI-powered scams, urging the public to stay vigilant and avoid sharing personal info with unknown callers.
GenNomis AI Database Reportedly Exposes Nearly 100,000 Deepfake and Nudify Images in Public Breach
In March 2025, cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered an unprotected database linked to GenNomis by AI-NOMIS, a South Korean company offering face-swapping and "nudify" AI services. The exposed 47.8GB dataset included nearly 100,000 files. Many depicted explicit deepfake images, some involving minors or celebrities. No personal data was found, but the breach was a serious failure in data security and consent safeguards in AI image-generation platforms.
Reported Use of AI Apps to Create Sexualized Deepfake Images of High School Students at Cascade High School in Iowa
Students of the Western Dubuque Community School District in Iowa reported that classmates allegedly used AI-enabled applications to generate sexualized deepfake images depicting fellow students. According to local reporting and the Dubuque County Sheriff's Office, the fabricated images were created and shared without consent. The school district reportedly held a public session to address policy gaps and student support following the incident.
Manipulated Video Using AI-Generated Audio Targets Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Fabricated Interview
A viral video falsely claimed to show Layal al-Ekhtiar of Al Arabiya confronting Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over funding a 30-person Umrah delegation with public money while seeking aid from Saudi Arabia. Investigators concluded the video had been dubbed with AI-generated audio. The original interview was broadcast by Saudi-owned Al Arabiya in January 2023, and it contained no such exchange. Lip-sync inconsistencies reportedly confirmed the manipulation.
Alleged Fraudulent Prompts via AIXBT Dashboard Led Purported AI Trading Agent to Transfer 55.5 ETH from Simulacrum Wallet
A reported hacker attack allegedly compromised the autonomous AI crypto bot AIXBT, purportedly resulting in the theft of 55.5 ETH (approximately $106,200). The attacker is reported to have infiltrated the secure dashboard of the AIXBT autonomous system at 2:00 AM UTC on March 18, 2025, and allegedly queued two fraudulent prompts that instructed the AI agent to transfer funds from its simulacrum wallet.
AI-Enabled Organized Crime Expands Across Europe
Europol’s EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA) 2025 warns that AI is accelerating the growth of organized crime throughout Europe. Criminal networks are leveraging AI for cyber fraud, ransomware, money laundering, and child exploitation, while AI-powered social engineering and automation are making criminal operations more scalable and harder to detect.
Alleged Use of AI to Create Sexualized Deepfake Images of Middle School Students Under Investigation in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Authorities in Bucks County, Pennsylvania reported that a middle school student allegedly used AI-enabled tools to create sexualized deepfake images depicting classmates. The incident, which reportedly occurred in March 2025, involved images generated without consent and is under investigation by local police and the district attorney's office. The alleged conduct may fall under a new Pennsylvania law addressing non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery, particularly involving minors.