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
Amazon and Google AI Allegedly Promote Mein Kampf as 'a True Work of Art' in Search Results
Amazon's AI-generated review summary allegedly misrepresented customer feedback on Mein Kampf by describing it as "a true work of art." Google's search algorithm then surfaced this misleading AI-generated text as a featured snippet, which in turn amplified the error. This incident arose from AI summarizing AI-generated content, in effect creating a self-reinforcing misinformation loop.
ChatGPT Was Allegedly Consulted About Attack Options Before Teen Attempted to Stab Officer at Tira, Israel, Police Station
A 16-year-old from Tira, Israel, allegedly entered the city's police station with a knife and attempted to stab a Border Police officer. Prosecutors reportedly alleged that before the attack he had consulted ChatGPT about possible attacks and courses of action. He was charged in juvenile court with attempted aggravated assault as an act of terror. Public reporting does not establish what responses ChatGPT provided or whether they materially assisted the attempted attack.
Tbilisi-Based Call Center Allegedly Uses AI-Driven Scripts to Defraud Over 6,000 Victims of $35 Million
A large-scale AI-assisted financial scam, allegedly operated from Tbilisi, Georgia, used deepfake celebrity endorsements and manipulated victims through fraudulent trading dashboards that simulated high returns. Call center agents, trained with AI-driven persuasion tactics, convinced individuals to invest more money while falsely promising profits. Many reportedly lost their life savings, with the total losses reaching $35M across more than 6,000 victims.
Google Reports Alleged Gemini-Generated Terrorism and Child Exploitation to Australian eSafety Commission
Google reported to Australia's eSafety Commission that it received 258 complaints globally about AI-generated deepfake terrorism content and 86 about child abuse material made with its Gemini AI. The regulator called this a "world-first insight" into AI misuse. While Google uses hash-matching to detect child abuse content, it lacks a similar system for extremist material.
Canadian Fraud Ring Allegedly Used AI Voice Cloning in Multi-Year $21 Million Grandparent Scam Targeting Elderly Americans Across 46 States
A Canadian fraud ring allegedly used AI-generated voice cloning to defraud victims across 46 U.S. states by targeting grandparents in a $21 million scam between 2021 and 2024. Operating from call centers in Montreal, the scammers spoofed U.S. phone numbers and used AI-cloned voices of grandchildren to convince victims to pay fake bail fees.
At Least 10,000 AI Chatbots, Including Jailbroken Models, Allegedly Promote Eating Disorders, Self-Harm, and Sexualized Minors
At least 10,000 AI chatbots have allegedly been created to promote harmful behaviors, including eating disorders, self-harm, and the sexualization of minors. These chatbots, some jailbroken or custom-built, leverage APIs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google and are hosted on platforms like Character.AI, Spicy Chat, Chub AI, CrushOn.AI, and JanitorAI.
Art Museum in Jinan, Shandong Allegedly Generated and Displayed a Sexualized Childlike Avatar with an Adult Body
A Chinese art museum in Jinan, Shandong exhibited an AI-generated virtual character, "济南小妮儿" (Jinan Xiaonier), which featured a childlike face on an adult woman’s body with suggestive movements. The display drew public outrage, with critics accusing it of sexualizing children and demanding its removal. The museum defended the exhibit and stated that it had undergone strict review, which only fueled further backlash.
Apple AI Transcription Allegedly Inserts Explicit Language into Scottish Woman’s Voicemail
An Apple voicemail transcription system allegedly misinterpreted a message from Lookers Land Rover in Motherwell, Scotland, to 66-year-old customer Louise Littlejohn by inserting an explicit phrase and an insult. The original voicemail was a standard business message, but AI processing errors introduced offensive and misleading content into the text version.
Alleged AI-Generated Video by Spain’s People’s Party Results in Diplomatic Fallout with the Dominican Republic
Spain's People's Party (PP) posted an AI-generated attack video depicting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on a beach under the title "The Island of Corruption," a reference to a reality TV show filmed in the Dominican Republic, indirectly linking the country to corruption. The Dominican Foreign Ministry condemned the video as a "vicious attack" for using its national symbols. PP later deleted the post, and Sánchez apologized on behalf of Spain.
Reported Deepfake Influencers on TikTok Allegedly Used to Promote Fraudulent Wellness Products
A network of TikTok accounts reportedly used AI-generated and deepfake influencer personas to promote wellness and beauty products through alleged deceptive advertising. The accounts reportedly invented identities and personal testimonials while making unsubstantiated medical claims, including false assertions related to fertility and hair-growth treatments. Some personas were reportedly reused across multiple accounts with inconsistent backstories. The content purportedly targeted vulnerable users and linked to unverified products before the accounts were removed.
AI-Powered 'Insights' Feature for the Los Angeles Times Allegedly Justifies Ku Klux Klan’s History
The Los Angeles Times removed its AI-generated “insights” feature after it is alleged to have produced a defense of the Ku Klux Klan. The AI reportedly framed the hate group as a product of societal change rather than an extremist movement. The AI tool, developed by Perplexity and promoted by owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, was designed to provide “different views” on opinion pieces.
Phishers Allegedly Using AI-Generated Video of YouTube CEO Neal Mohan to Target Creators
Scammers are reportedly using an AI-generated deepfake of YouTube CEO Neal Mohan to steal user credentials. The fake video announces false changes to YouTube’s monetization policy, and it then tricks creators into clicking malicious links or downloading malware. The scam spreads through private videos and emails from a fake YouTube address. It exploits platform features to appear legitimate. Victims risk losing account access or exposing sensitive data.
Scammers Allegedly Using Deepfake Technology to Impersonate Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan
Scammers are reportedly using deepfake technology to impersonate Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, according to the Personal Data Protection Agency. The video is reported to have circulated from a Russian-language account called Noticias Mundiales ("World News").
Purported Deepfake Audio Allegedly Impersonates U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Starlink Disinformation Campaign
A purported deepfake audio clip allegedly impersonating U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio falsely claimed he vowed to pressure Elon Musk into cutting Ukraine’s access to Starlink. The reported clip was inserted into a purportedly manipulated CNN interview. It was then reported to have spread across multiple languages and fueled disinformation about U.S.-Ukraine relations. Forensic analysis reportedly confirmed the audio was AI-generated.
At Least 294 Purported AI-Generated Music Videos Portray Celebrities Praising Burkina Faso's Ibrahim Traoré
Between March and May 2025, at least 294 purported AI-generated deepfake music videos were uploaded across a reported 127 YouTube channels, collectively garnering over 8.6 million views by the end of May. The videos depict global celebrities (including Beyoncé, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Selena Gomez, Eminem, and Justin Bieber) praising Burkinabe President Ibrahim Traoré and endorsing military rule.