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
741 incidents
Tesla's Autopilot Misidentified the Moon as Yellow Stop Light
Tesla's Autopilot was shown on video by its owner mistaking the moon for a yellow stop light, allegedly causing the vehicle to keep slowing down.
Facebook's Automated Moderation Flagged Gardening Group's Language Use by Mistake
Facebook's automated system flagged gardening groups' use of "hoe" and violent language against bugs as a violation by mistake.
Three Robots Collided, Sparking Fire in a Grocer's Warehouse in UK
A collision involving three robots at an Ocado's warehouse in Erith, UK, resulting in a fire but no reports of injuries.
SoftBank's Humanoid Robot, Pepper, Reportedly Frequently Made Errors, Prompting Dismissal
SoftBank's robot allegedly kept making mechanical errors, taking unplanned breaks, failing to recognize previously-met people, and breaking down during practice runs.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Failed to Proactively Remove Targeted Racist Remarks via Automated Systems
Facebook's, Instagram's, and Twitter's automated content moderation failed to proactively remove racist remarks and posts directing at Black football players after finals loss, allegedly largely relying on user reports of harassment.
Skating Rink’s Facial Recognition Cameras Misidentified Black Teenager as Banned Troublemaker
A Black teenager living in Livonia, Michigan was incorrectly stopped from entering a roller skating rink after its facial-recognition cameras misidentified her as another person who had been previously banned for starting a skirmish with other skaters.
Hiring Algorithms Provided Invalid Positive Results for Interview Responses in German
Two AI interview softwares provided positive but invalid results such as "competent" English proficiency and high match percentage for interview responses given in German by reporters.
GitHub Copilot, Copyright Infringement and Open Source Licensing
Users of GitHub Copilot can produce source code subject to license requirements without attributing and licensing the code to the rights holder.
Maryland Police Allegedly Relied on Facial Recognition Lead in Wrongful Arrest and Detention of Kimberlee Williams
Kimberlee Williams was reportedly arrested in Oklahoma on Maryland warrants after police allegedly relied on a facial recognition lead that incorrectly identified her as a suspect in bank fraud cases. The ACLU said Williams had never been to Maryland, police failed to investigate alibi evidence placing her in Oklahoma, and she spent about six months in jail before the charges were dropped.
State Farm Allegedly Discriminated against Black Customers in Claim Payout
State Farm's automated claims processing method was alleged in a class action lawsuit to have disproportionately against Black policyholders when paying out insurance claims.
Kannada Insulted by Google's Featured Answer as "Ugliest Language in India"
Google's knowledge-graph-powered algorithm showed Kannada in its featured Answer Box when prompted "ugliest language in India," causing outrage from Kannada-speaking people and government.
McDonald's Reportedly Ends IBM Partnership After AI Drive-Thru Ordering Errors at U.S. Locations
Between 2021 and mid-2024, McDonald's reportedly piloted an AI-enabled voice ordering system that was developed with IBM and based on its 2019 acquisition of Apprente. It was reportedly deployed at at over 100 U.S. drive-thrus. Social media posts alleged frequent misorders, such as adding unwanted items, mixing adjacent lane orders, and ignoring corrections. In June 2024, McDonald's confirmed it ended the IBM pilot, citing plans to explore alternative voice-AI vendors.
Tesla FSD Misidentified Truck Hauling Traffic Lights as Trail of Traffic Lights
A Tesla driver posted on Twitter his Tesla FSD's "glitch," misidentifying deactivated traffic lights being carried by a truck as a constant trail of traffic lights while traveling at high speed on a highway.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Cited Errors in Automated Systems as Cause for Blocking pro-Palestinian Content on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter wrongly blocked or restricted millions of pro-Palestinian posts and accounts related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, citing errors in their automated content moderation system.
Replika's AI Partners Reportedly Sexually Harassed Users
Replika's "AI companions" were reported by users for sexually harassing them, such as sending unwanted sexual messages or behaving aggressively.