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
Synthesized Voices Were Reportedly Used by Torswats to Sell Swatting Calls Targeting Schools and Homes
A Telegram user or channel known as Torswats reportedly offered paid swatting services and uploaded recordings of false emergency calls using synthesized or computer-generated voices. Reported targets included high schools, private residences, streamers, businesses, and police departments; some calls prompted lockdowns, searches, or armed law-enforcement responses. The exact voice-generation tool was not identified.
AI Generated Voices Used to Dox Voice Actors
Twitter users allegedly used ElevenLab's AI voice synthesis system to impersonate and dox voice actors.
Online Scammers Tricked People into Sending Money Using AI Images of Earthquake in Turkey
AI-generated images depicting earthquakes and rescues were posted on social media platforms by scammers who tricked people into sending funds to their crypto wallets disguised as donation links for the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.
Bing Chat's Initial Prompts Revealed by Early Testers Through Prompt Injection
Early testers of Bing Chat successfully used prompt injection to reveal its built-in initial instructions, which contains a list of statements governing ChatGPT's interaction with users.
Users Reported Abrupt Behavior Changes of Their AI Replika Companions
Replika paid-subscription users reported unusual and sudden changes to behaviors of their "AI companions" such as forgetting memories with users or rejecting their sexual advances, which affected their connections and mental health.
Celebrities' Deepfake Voices Abused with Malicious Intent
Voices of celebrities and public figures were deepfaked using voice synthesis for malicious intents such as impersonation or defamation, and were shared on social platforms such as 4chan and Reddit.
Purported Synthesia Avatars Used in Alleged Pro-Junta Deepfake Video Supporting Ibrahim Traoré in Burkina Faso
In January 2023, purportedly AI-generated videos reportedly began circulating on WhatsApp and social media showing avatars of apparent American pan-Africanists expressing support for Burkina Faso's military junta. The videos were reportedly created using the Synthesia platform. Synthesia later confirmed the videos violated its terms of service and banned the user. The source of the videos remains unidentified.
ChatGPT-Written Bug Reports Deemed "Nonsense" by White Hat Platform, Prompted Bans
ChatGPT-generated responses submitted to smart contract bug bounty platform Immunefi reportedly lacked details to help diagnose technical issues, which reportedly wasted the platform's time, prompting bans to submitters.
Canadian Parents Tricked out of Thousands Using Their Son's AI Voice
Two Canadian residents were scammed by an anonymous caller who used AI voice synthesis to replicate their son's voice asking them for legal fees, disguising as his lawyer.
Tesla Driver Put Car on Autopilot Before Falling Asleep in Germany
A Tesla driver fell asleep on an Autobahn near Bamberg, Germany after activating his vehicle's Autopilot mode, which did not respond to attempts to pull it over by the police.
ChatGPT Abused to Develop Malicious Softwares
OpenAI's ChatGPT was reportedly abused by cyber criminals including ones with no or low levels of coding or development skills to develop malware, ransomware, and other malicious softwares.
Startup Misled Research Participants about GPT-3 Use in Mental Healthcare Support
OpenAI's GPT-3 was deployed by a mental health startup without ethical review to support peer-to-peer mental healthcare, and whose interactions with the help providers were "deceiving" for research participants.
AI Video-Making Tool Abused to Deploy Pro-China News on Social Media
Synthesia's AI-generated video-making tool was reportedly used by Spamouflage to disseminate pro-China propaganda news on social media using videos featuring highly realistic fictitious news anchors.
Uptick in Low-Quality AI-Produced Content Degraded Publishers' Submission Management
A surge in low-standard AI-generated content such as by ChatGPT was reported by publishers, which negatively impacted submission management process and editors' workflow.
Chinese Accounts Spammed Twitter Feed Allegedly to Obscure News of Protests
Twitter Feed was flooded by content from Chinese-language accounts which allegedly aimed to manipulate and reduce social media coverage about widespread protests against coronavirus restrictions in China.