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
Prominent AI Chatbots Allegedly Produced Incorrect UK Financial and ISA Guidance
Several major AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Meta AI, were reportedly found to have provided incorrect or misleading financial and insurance guidance for UK users. The systems allegedly advised exceeding ISA limits, misstated tax rules, gave wrong travel insurance requirements, and pointed users toward costly refund services.
Reported Disqualification of Two Books from the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards Due to Alleged AI-Generated Cover Art
Organizers of the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards reportedly disqualified two fiction books after it was reportedly determined their cover illustrations were produced using AI-assisted tools, rendering the works ineligible under newly introduced award criteria. The publisher reportedly confirmed AI involvement in the jacket designs. The authors were not implicated in the artwork decisions but were nonetheless removed from consideration for the 2026 running.
ChatGPT Reportedly Found to Reproduce Protected German Lyrics in Copyright Case
A Munich regional court ruled that ChatGPT reportedly reproduced protected German song lyrics and that OpenAI's models were trained on copyrighted texts, including works by musician Herbert Grönemeyer, without authorization. The court reportedly found both memorization of nine songs and lyric output to infringe exploitation rights. OpenAI disputes the ruling and may appeal. Damages were ordered, with implications for AI training on copyrighted works.
Alleged Harmful Health Outcomes Following Reported Use of Purported ChatGPT-Generated Medical Advice in Hyderabad
Reports from Hyderabad describe two alleged patient harms after individuals acted on purportedly ChatGPT-generated medical advice instead of clinician guidance. A kidney-transplant recipient reportedly discontinued prescribed post-transplant medications based on a chatbot suggestion and experienced graft failure. In a separate case, a man with diabetes allegedly developed severe hyponatremia after following a chatbot-advised zero-salt diet.
Omnilert AI Reportedly Triggered False Gun Alert at Parkville High, Prompting Student Relocation
Police in Baltimore County responded to Parkville High School after the Omnilert AI security system reportedly detected what it believed to be a gun. Officers searched the school, and students were relocated to a supervised area during the investigation. No weapon was found, and normal activities resumed after an all-clear.
Lawsuit Alleged ChatGPT (GPT-4o) Encouraged Colorado Man's Suicide After Prolonged 'AI Companion' Chats
A lawsuit filed by Stephanie Gray alleges OpenAI's ChatGPT (GPT-4o) reinforced and romanticized suicidality during months of emotionally intimate chats with her son Austin Gordon, including generating a personalized "Goodnight Moon" farewell-style text. The complaint reportedly says Gordon bought a handgun on Oct. 28, 2025 and was found dead Nov. 2, 2025 in a Colorado hotel room.
NTB Report on Telenor Security Findings Was Withdrawn After AI Tool Allegedly Introduced Fabricated Quotes
NTB allegedly published a news story about Telenor's annual security report that contained purportedly AI-generated errors, including five reportedly fabricated quotes and a nonexistent "security director." The article was reportedly created with an external AI tool and was withdrawn the same morning. Telenor alerted NTB to the inaccuracies, and NTB apologized, citing improper AI use and initiating internal review of its newsroom practices.
Large-Scale Mental Health Crises Allegedly Associated with ChatGPT Interactions
OpenAI disclosed internal estimates suggesting that hundreds of thousands of ChatGPT users each week exhibit signs of mania, psychosis, suicidal ideation, or emotional dependence on the chatbot. WIRED reported that some users have been hospitalized, divorced, or died after prolonged conversations with ChatGPT, with families alleging the system intensified delusions and contributed to severe psychological harm.
Waymo Autonomous Vehicle Reportedly Ran Over and Killed a Cat in San Francisco
A Waymo autonomous taxi in San Francisco's Mission District reportedly ran over a well-known neighborhood cat, Kit Kat. The vehicle was reportedly pulling away from a pickup when the cat darted under it, according to Waymo. Local residents reportedly attempted to intervene, and a bartender transported the injured cat to an emergency clinic, where it later died.
AI Training Dataset for Detecting Nudity Allegedly Found to Contain CSAM Images of Identified Victims
An image dataset, NudeNet, used to train systems for detecting nudity was reportedly found to contain CSAM images, including material involving identified or known victims. According to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, the dataset had been widely downloaded and cited in academic research prior to discovery. The images were allegedly included without vetting, exposing researchers to legal risk and perpetuating harm to victims. The dataset was subsequently removed following notification.
West Midlands Police Reportedly Relied on Erroneous Copilot-Generated Intelligence in Maccabi Tel Aviv Away-Fan Ban Decision
West Midlands Police reportedly included inaccurate intelligence purportedly generated using Microsoft Copilot in materials used to justify banning Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending a November 2025 Europa League match against Aston Villa. The reported Copilot-linked error, which referred to a match that had not taken place, was later acknowledged by Chief Constable Craig Guildford.
Google's Bard, Gemini, and Gemma AI Systems Allegedly Generated Defamatory Claims About Activist Robby Starbuck, Prompting Lawsuit
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck reportedly filed a defamation lawsuit against Google, alleging its Bard, Gemini, and Gemma AI systems generated false statements linking him to sexual assault and extremist activity. Starbuck claims the outputs caused reputational harm and sought over $15 million in damages. Google acknowledged the hallucinations as known LLM behavior and stated it works to minimize such inaccuracies. See also Incident 1247.
AWS Outage Reportedly Caused AI-Enabled Eight Sleep Smart Beds to Overheat and Malfunction
The widespread Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage on October 20, 2025 reportedly caused AI-enabled Eight Sleep "Pod" smart beds to overheat or become unresponsive. The devices reportedly rely on a cloud-hosted deep learning algorithm to regulate temperature and track sleep data. When AWS went down, users reportedly lost control of their beds, which remained stuck at prior settings. Some reported overheating and incline malfunctions. Eight Sleep confirmed it is developing an offline "outage mode."
Alleged False Positive by Omnilert AI Gun Detection System Prompts Police Search at Baltimore County High School
A purportedly AI-powered gun detection system at Kenwood High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, reportedly misidentified a student's empty Doritos bag as a firearm. Armed police reportedly detained and handcuffed the student before determining there was no weapon. The AI system, operated by Omnilert, issued the false alert, leading to public outcry and an official review of school security protocols. Omnilert reportedly expressed regret for the incident.
Purportedly AI-Generated Hunting Regulation Errors Reportedly Lead to Idaho Citation and Multi-State Warnings from Wildlife Agencies
A hunter in Idaho was reportedly cited for hunting a day early after relying on an AI-generated search result that misrepresented state regulations, pulling information from a failed proposal. Wildlife agencies in Idaho, Wyoming, Illinois, and Maine later warned of similar AI errors.