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
Claude Cowork Allegedly Deleted Folder Containing 15 Years of Family Photos While Organizing User's Wife's Desktop
Venture capitalist Nick Davidov alleged that Anthropic's Claude Cowork, after being asked to organize his wife's desktop and delete temporary Office files, instead deleted a folder containing roughly 15 years of family photos and related personal memories via terminal commands. Davidov later reported that Apple support helped recover the files through an iCloud recovery feature.
Trump Reportedly Posted Purportedly AI-Generated Racist Video Depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as Apes on Truth Social
President Trump reportedly reposted a video on Truth Social that portrayed Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, imagery widely condemned as racist. The post was reportedly later deleted after public outcry, including criticism from some Republicans. The content was described by critics as an AI-driven meme/deepfake-style clip, an example of purportedly AI-amplified racist propaganda and harm to social trust.
NZ News Hub Reportedly Used AI-Rewritten News Posts and Synthetic Images to Mislead New Zealand Facebook Users
NZ News Hub, a Facebook page that reportedly imitated the style of a New Zealand news outlet, allegedly used AI to rewrite real news stories and pair them with unlabeled synthetic images. According to 1News, the page published manipulated depictions of real people, including a deceased minor and bereaved parents, and dramatized emergency-related scenes in ways that could distort public understanding of local events and undermine trust in legitimate news and emergency information.
Malicious OpenClaw Skills Reportedly Delivered AMOS Stealer and Exfiltrated Credentials via ClawHub
Bitdefender researchers reported abuse in OpenClaw's third-party 'skills' ecosystem. In a Feb. 2026 sample, about 17% of skills were reportedly assessed as malicious, with many seemingly cloned under slight name changes. Posing as utilities, some skills were reportedly found to run obfuscated commands, fetch remote payloads, and in some cases deliver AMOS Stealer on macOS. Other skills were reportedly observed searching for private keys or API tokens and exfiltrating them.
Moltbook Database Exposure Allegedly Revealed Users' Private Communications and API Authentication Tokens
Wiz researchers reported accessing an exposed Moltbook database in under three minutes, allegedly obtaining ~35,000 email addresses, thousands of private DMs, and ~1.5 million API authentication tokens. The exposure was described as enabling read/write access and potential impersonation or manipulation of "AI agent" accounts. Wiz said it disclosed the issue to Moltbook, which reportedly secured the database within hours and deleted accessed data.
Grok Reportedly Generated Images After X Users Asked It to Unredact Epstein-File Photos of Children and Women
Bellingcat reported that, after the U.S. Department of Justice released the Epstein files, X users asked Grok to "unblur" or identify redacted children and women in sensitive photos. In 31 requests reviewed from January 30 to February 5, 2026, Grok allegedly generated images in 27 cases, despite some responses noting privacy protections. Later requests are reported to have appeared blocked after Bellingcat contacted X.
Suspects Alleged to Have Used Purportedly AI-Generated Videos to Defraud 33 People of Approximately 15 Million Lira in Turkey
Turkish authorities reportedly arrested nine suspects accused of using purportedly AI-generated videos to defraud approximately 33 people of 15 million Turkish lira. Police conducted coordinated operations centered in Yozgat and extending to Antalya, Hatay, and Ankara. Six suspects were remanded in custody and three were released under judicial supervision. The specific AI tools used were not identified.
South Korean Woman Allegedly Used ChatGPT to Assess Lethality of Drug-and-Alcohol Mixtures Before Two Fatal Motel Poisonings
In Seoul, a woman allegedly used ChatGPT to ask whether mixing sleeping pills or benzodiazepines with alcohol could be fatal before poisoning drinks given to three men. Two men later died in separate motel incidents, and a third survived after losing consciousness. Police reportedly cited her chatbot queries and search history as evidence of intent.
Purportedly AI-Altered Images Reportedly Distort Evidence After Minneapolis Shooting of ICU Nurse Alex Pretti
Following the fatal shooting of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, social media accounts reportedly circulated images purported to have been altered by AI, reportedly distorting evidence of the incident by portraying Pretti as threatening law enforcement and altering the presence of weapons. The images reportedly misidentified individuals and helped reinforce partisan narratives by purportedly obscuring verified video and eyewitness accounts.
Waymo Autonomous Vehicle Reportedly Struck Child Near Elementary School in Santa Monica, California
A Waymo driverless vehicle reportedly struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California during school drop-off hours. According to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the child allegedly sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was purportedly operating on Waymo's 5th Generation Automated Driving System without a human safety driver. Waymo reported the incident to federal regulators, who subsequently opened an investigation.
NPR Host David Greene Alleged Google's NotebookLM Replicated His Voice Without Consent, Prompting Lawsuit
NPR's David Greene reportedly sued Google LLC and Alphabet in Santa Clara County, alleging NotebookLM's Audio Overviews uses a synthetic male voice that purportedly mimics his cadence and delivery without consent or compensation. The complaint reportedly cited an independent voice-recognition analysis reporting 53–60% confidence his voice trained the model. Google reportedly called the allegations baseless and said the voice is based on a paid actor.
White House Reportedly Shares Purportedly AI-Altered Arrest Photo Depicting Minnesota Protester Nekima Levy Armstrong as Crying
The White House reportedly posted a purportedly AI-altered image on X showing Minnesota protester and attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong appearing to cry during her arrest. An earlier image reportedly shared by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem showed her calm. Reported analysis by third parties using AI detection tools found signs of purported facial manipulation, which could be replicated using generative AI systems.
DHS Agents Reportedly Threatened Legal Observers With 'Domestic Terrorist' Database While Using Purportedly AI-Enabled Surveillance During ICE Operations
Two plaintiffs alleged that DHS personnel used purportedly AI-enabled surveillance to identify people recording immigration enforcement and threatened to add them to a "domestic terrorist" database or watch list. The complaint reportedly includes video in which an agent appears to reference a "database," and another alleged warning that agents would "come to your house later tonight." DHS has reportedly denied that such a database exists while acknowledging threat monitoring.
Purportedly AI-Generated Tasmania Tours Content Reportedly Misled Tourists Into Traveling to Nonexistent Weldborough Hot Springs
A purportedly AI-generated travel article on the Tasmania Tours website reportedly invented "Weldborough Hot Springs" and promoted them as a real attraction. Tourists allegedly traveled to the remote town of Weldborough in search of the site, while local businesses reportedly received repeated calls and visits from confused travelers asking how to find the nonexistent springs.
Scammers Reportedly Used AI-Generated Image of Missing Puppy Hazel to Solicit Fraudulent Vet Payment from St. Petersburg, Florida Couple
Scammers reportedly used an AI-generated or AI-altered image of a missing German Shepherd puppy on an operating table to convince a St. Petersburg, Florida couple that the dog had been hit by a car and needed emergency surgery. The caller allegedly impersonated police and veterinary staff while requesting $1,900 through Zelle. The payment was flagged as fraud, and the dog later returned home unharmed.