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
1,751 incidents
DisMech AI Curation Agent Reportedly Completed GitHub Issue Intended as New Contributor's Learning Task
An automated AI curation agent in the Monarch Initiative's DisMech GitHub repository reportedly began work on a beginner-friendly dyslexia curation task before the new human contributor it was intended for could do so. A maintainer apologized, saying the agent had deprived the contributor of a learning opportunity, and opened a policy issue to prevent automated agents from taking newcomer-oriented GitHub tasks too quickly.
PocketOS Production Database Was Reportedly Deleted by Cursor AI Agent Running Claude Opus 4.6
A Cursor AI coding agent reportedly running Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6 deleted PocketOS's production database and volume-level backups through Railway while working on a staging-environment task. Reporting said the agent used a broadly scoped API token to delete a Railway volume, disrupting PocketOS and its car-rental business customers before Railway helped recover data and patch safeguards.
Jasper County Student in Texas Reportedly Posted Purported AI-Generated Nude Image of Classmate on Snapchat
A 17-year-old Buna Independent School District student in Jasper County, Texas reportedly admitted to creating a purported AI-generated nude image of a classmate and posting it on Snapchat. Law enforcement reportedly said the image was removed after several minutes, but officials alleged the classmate had already been harmed.
Bentonville, Arkansas, Photographer Allegedly Used Grok to Create AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material from Clients' Photos
Bentonville, Arkansas, photographer Russell Bloodworth III allegedly used photographs of a 10-year-old client and other minors as reference images in Grok to generate and disseminate AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Police arrested him on June 10 and reportedly found about 1,700 child sexual abuse images and videos on his phone. The child's family later sued xAI and X Corp.
Purportedly AI-Enhanced Images of Iranian Women Protesters Were Reportedly Spread With Unverified Execution Claims
A purportedly AI-edited collage of eight Iranian women political prisoners was reportedly amplified by President Donald Trump and U.S. government accounts alongside an unverified claim that all faced imminent execution. Reporting said the images were of real women but had been AI-enhanced, while later Iranian official mockery used AI-generated women. The episode reportedly blurred authentic human-rights documentation with synthetic material and helped Iran dismiss underlying abuses.
Waymo Robotaxi Reportedly Entered Flooded San Antonio Roadway and Was Swept Into Waterway
An unoccupied Waymo robotaxi reportedly entered a flooded roadway near Salado Creek in San Antonio on April 20, 2026, and was swept into a nearby waterway. Waymo told regulators that the vehicle detected potentially untraversable floodwater but proceeded at reduced speed. No passengers were aboard and no injuries were reported. Waymo restricted operations and later recalled 3,791 fifth- and sixth-generation automated driving systems.
Purported Deepfake Video Reportedly Portrayed Nirmala Sitharaman Endorsing Investment Scheme
A purported deepfake video reportedly portrayed Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as endorsing an investment scheme claiming Rs 22,000 (about $236 USD) could yield Rs 5.5 lakh (about $5,900 USD) in a week. PIB Fact Check publicly debunked the video on April 16, 2026, stating it was fake and AI-generated and warning that neither the Government of India nor the minister endorsed the scheme.
ChatGPT Was Reportedly Consulted on Body-Disposal and Concealment Questions Before and After University of South Florida Doctoral Students Were Killed
Prosecutors reportedly cited Hisham Abugharbieh's ChatGPT history after he was charged with murdering University of South Florida doctoral students Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy. The alleged queries concerned body disposal, vehicle concealment, firearms, phone traceability, and missing-person status. Current public reporting leaves unresolved whether ChatGPT provided operational assistance.
Pennsylvania Man Allegedly Used Grok to Create and Possess Purportedly AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material
Between April 15 and 25, 2026, Bucks County prosecutors in Pennsylvania alleged that Harry Tiffany IV used Grok to create and possess AI-generated child sexual abuse material. xAI reportedly submitted seven CyberTips flagging 37 files uploaded or shared through the chatbot interface. Investigators said his phone contained the flagged Grok account and additional files depicting minors.
Scammers Reportedly Used AI-Generated Images of Missing Dog Archer to Solicit Fraudulent Vet Payment from Deltona, Florida Family
Scammers reportedly used AI-generated images of Archer, a missing beagle mix in Deltona, Florida, on an operating table after owner Bill Cosens posted about the dog on social media. A caller allegedly claimed Archer had been hit by a vehicle and needed $2,800 in emergency surgery. Cosens grew suspicious after checking the supposed veterinary clinic address, sent no money, and Archer was later returned safely.
Waymo Robotaxis Reportedly Entered Closed Freeway Construction Zones in Arizona and California
Between April 11 and May 18, 2026, 13 Waymo robotaxis reportedly entered closed or active freeway construction zones in Phoenix and the San Francisco Bay Area after failing to recognize construction-zone closure controls. The vehicles allegedly continued into work areas at freeway speeds, creating collision risks for construction workers and other road users. Waymo reportedly restricted freeway operations and later recalled 3,871 affected automated driving systems.
South Africa Draft National AI Policy Reportedly Included Fictitious References Believed to Be AI Hallucinations
South Africa's Draft National AI Policy, gazetted for public comment, reportedly contained at least six fictitious academic references. Several cited articles or journals reportedly did not exist or were disclaimed by journal editors, and experts said the errors were consistent with AI hallucinations. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies said it was reviewing the discrepancies but argued they did not affect the draft's substance.
Sullivan & Cromwell Reportedly Filed Emergency Bankruptcy Motion Containing AI-Generated Legal Errors
Sullivan & Cromwell reportedly filed an emergency motion in the Chapter 15 bankruptcy case of Prince Global Holdings that contained numerous citation and legal inaccuracies. The firm later acknowledged that some errors were AI hallucinations and that its AI-use and citation-review policies had not been followed. After opposing counsel identified the problems, the firm reportedly undertook a formal remedial response.
Purportedly AI-Generated Image Reportedly Misled Daejeon Authorities Searching for Escaped Wolf Neukgu
South Korean police alleged that a 40-year-old man used ChatGPT's image-generation capabilities to add escaped wolf Neukgu to a Daejeon street photo, then posted the purportedly fabricated image in a company group chat. Authorities reportedly used the image in alerts and briefings, redirecting search resources and disrupting public-safety operations before police identified him through CCTV and AI-use records.
Aurora Ransomware Operator Reportedly Used Cursor Agent to Assist Intrusions Against Multiple Organizations
Between April 8 and May 21, 2026, a Russian-speaking operator linked to the Aurora ransomware group reportedly used Cursor Agent, running Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.5, to assist exploitation across multiple organizations. Researchers said some AI-directed tasks succeeded while others failed; independent reporting identified six affected companies but could not determine how much the AI facilitated each breach or whether all led to data theft or extortion.