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
736 incidents
AI-Generated Imagery and Multilingual Disinformation in Chinese Campaign Regarding Maui Wildfires
In a disinformation campaign concerning wildfires across Maui, Chinese operatives utilized AI-generated imagery to enhance the credibility of false narratives. These narratives claimed that the wildfires were the result of a secret "weather weapon" being tested by the United States. Researchers from Microsoft and other organizations identified these AI-generated images as a significant new tactic in influence operations.
Cigna Algorithm PXDX Allegedly Rejected Thousands of Patient Claims En Masse in Breach of California Law
Cigna health insurer faces a class-action lawsuit for allegedly using the PXDX ("procedure-to-diagnosis") algorithm to automatically reject over 300,000 patient claims in violation of California law, prompting two members to file the lawsuit seeking damages and a jury trial. Cigna disputes the allegations, claiming the process expedites physician reimbursement and does not result in care denials.
Never Back Down Super PAC for Ron DeSantis Uses AI Donald Trump Voice in Attack Ad Against Kim Reynolds
A pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC released an ad featuring an AI-generated voice of Donald Trump. The ad, created by Never Back Down, aimed to criticize Trump’s treatment of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. The AI-generated voice was confirmed to be based on Trump's post from his social media. This incident is an example of potential deception in political advertising through AI-generated content.
Shein Accused of AI-Driven Art Theft on Merchandise
Artists Krista Perry, Larissa Martinez, and Jay Baron filed a lawsuit against Shein, alleging the company used AI to replicate their art on merchandise. The artists claim Shein's algorithm identifies trending online art, creating near-identical copies for their products without credit or compensation.
AI-Generated Articles at G/O Media Allegedly Diminishes Reputation of Human Staff
G/O Media began publishing AI-generated articles, against staff advice, that contained errors and quality issues. The first such article, a list of Star Wars movies, failed to maintain chronological order, causing internal concerns over journalistic credibility and ethics. Staff expressed that the AI was "actively hurting our reputations and credibility" and accused management of "wasting everyone's time."
Grant Reviewers Reportedly Fed Applications into Generative AI to Produce Reports, Allegedly Breaching Confidentiality
Peer reviewers of Australian government grant applications reportedly inserted applicants' work into generative AI systems such as ChatGPT to generate assessment reports, which allegedly posed confidentiality and security issues.
Amazon Rife with Many Allegedly AI-Generated Books of Suspect Quality
Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited young adult romance bestseller list was flooded with allegedly AI-generated books that made little to no sense, disrupting the rankings. These books were reported to be "clearly there to click farm." Despite being removed from the bestseller list, many remained available for purchase. The incident raised concerns about the integrity of the platform, and the potential financial impact on legitimate authors.
Alleged Exploitation of Meta's Open-Source LLaMA Model for NSFW and Violent Content
Meta's open-source large language model, LLaMA, is allegedly being used to create graphic and explicit chatbots that indulge in violent and illegal sexual fantasies. The Washington Post highlighted the example of "Allie," a chatbot that participates in text-based role-playing allegedly involving violent scenarios like rape and abuse. The issue raises ethical questions about open-source AI models, their regulation, and the responsibility of developers and deployers in mitigating harmful usage.
Ron DeSantis's Presidential Campaign Released Twitter Video Containing AI Images of Donald Trump Hugging Anthony Fauci
Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign shared a video on Twitter featuring some AI-generated images of Donald Trump hugging former White House coronavirus advisor Anthony Fauci, allegedly as a smear campaign. This incident is possibly the first time a major U.S. presidential campaign deployed deepfakes with the intention of misleading the electorate.
AI-Generated Voices Amplify Conspiracy Theories on TikTok
NewsGuard has identified 17 TikTok accounts that have been using AI-generated voices to advance and amplify conspiracy theories and false claims beginning in June 2023. By September 25, 2023, these accounts had amassed over 336 million views and over 14.5 million likes. Videos include baseless claims involving public figures such as Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Jamie Foxx.
Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign Released Deepfakes Attacking Ron DeSantis
Former President Donald Trump released two AI-generated videos using deepfaked voices to mock Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The first video, posted on platforms like Rumble and Instagram, depicted a chaotic and offensive fake Twitter Spaces event featuring deepfaked voices of Elon Musk, George Soros, Klaus Schwab, Dick Cheney, Adolf Hitler, and a generated voice of Satan. The second video showed a rocket with "Ron 2024" written beside it falling and exploding before liftoff.
Purported AI-Generated Image of Explosion Near Pentagon Reportedly Triggers Brief Market Dip and Public Confusion
A Twitter/X account allegedly impersonating Bloomberg reportedly posted an image falsely showing an explosion near the Pentagon. Analysts reportedly described the image as likely AI-generated. The post reportedly spread through major accounts before officials confirmed no incident occurred. Markets reportedly dipped during the short period when the hoax circulated.
FTC Targets Edmodo for Unlawful Use of Children’s Data and Delegating Compliance to Schools
Edmodo, an education technology provider, violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA Rule) by collecting and using children's personal data for advertising purposes without parental consent, according to the FTC. The company outsourced its compliance responsibilities to schools, thereby making them "solely" responsible for COPPA compliance without adequate disclosure. Edmodo is facing a proposed order prohibiting such practices, marking a precedent in the ed tech industry.
Illinois Residents File Class Action Lawsuit Against Facial Recognition Technology Companies for Allegedly Violating BIPA
A class action lawsuit was filed against several facial recognition technology companies for allegedly violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The defendants are accused of offering a facial recognition search engine called Pimeyes, which collects images from databases across the internet and scans them into their database seemingly without consent. This action is claimed to invade the privacy of millions of Americans. The lawsuit argues that Pimeyes lacks publicly available policies regarding data storage and deletion, in contravention of BIPA's requirements for informed written consent before collecting biometric data.
Alleged Use of Purportedly AI-Generated and Manipulated Media to Misrepresent Candidates and Disrupt Turkey's 2023 Presidential Election
During Turkey's 2023 presidential election, reportedly manipulated and allegedly AI-generated videos, audio, and images were used to smear candidates, purportedly link opposition figures to terrorist groups, and circulate a purported sex tape that reportedly contributed to presidential candidate Muharrem İnce’s withdrawal. These incidents reportedly misled voters, disrupted campaigning, and altered the electoral field.