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
Unauthorized AI Impersonation of George Carlin Used in Comedy Special
An AI-generated comedy special impersonating the late comedian George Carlin was created without consent from Carlin's estate. The special featured an AI mimicking Carlin's voice and style. The project, led by the AI comedy channel Dudesy, drew criticism for disrespecting Carlin's legacy and autonomy.
AI Was Reportedly Used to Create a Nonconsensual Pornographic Video Depicting a Bhutanese Woman in New Zealand
A pornographic video with the face of a Bhutanese woman living in New Zealand superimposed using AI was reportedly posted online without her consent. She described embarrassment and psychological distress. After contacting police in Bhutan and New Zealand, she said she used StopNCII.org, a service for limiting nonconsensual intimate-image sharing, and could no longer find the video online.
Coordinated Deepfake Campaign Reportedly Impersonating Rishi Sunak Promoted Fraudulent Quantum AI Investment Platform on Meta
143 deepfake ads, over 100 of which reportedly impersonated former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, were promoted on Meta's platform to advertise the fraudulent investment scheme "Quantum AI." Funding for the ads reportedly originated from 23 countries. Up to 462,000 users may have been exposed to the false content. The campaign used generative AI tools to create high-quality misinformation, including spoofed BBC news clips for added legitimacy
Presidency of Moldova Reportedly Refutes Purported Deepfake Video Slandering President Maia Sandu
A deepfake video reportedly depicting President Maia Sandu's image and voice was released in Moldova, allegedly portraying her in a negative light to sow division and undermine democratic institutions. This video reportedly appeared on Telegram and was linked to Russian disinformation efforts.
Deepfake Video Reportedly Depicts U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman Endorsing Military Support for Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party
A deepfake video is reported to have falsely depicted U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman endorsing military support for Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party candidates in the 2024 presidential election. Shared on TikTok, the video is reported to have undermined Taiwanese voter confidence in the DPP by alleging U.S. interference. Fact-checking from AFP finds Wittman never made the statements attributed to him.
Alleged Deepfake of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Promotes Cryptocurrency Scam in Fake Interview
A deepfake video falsely depicted Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong promoting a cryptocurrency investment scam. Scammers used AI-generated voice cloning and manipulated footage from official events to create a convincing but fraudulent video interview with China Global Television Network. Lee warned the public and urged reporting through the ScamShield Bot.
Proliferation of Deepfakes Disrupting 2024 Lok Sabha Elections
Digital manipulators in India are using deepfake technology to influence the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These AI-generated videos and audio clips are designed to tarnish the reputations of political candidates, challenging the integrity of electoral processes.
The New York Times Reportedly Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over Alleged Unauthorized AI Training on Its Content
The New York Times alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft used millions of its articles without permission to train AI models, including ChatGPT. The lawsuit claims the companies scraped and reproduced copyrighted content without compensation, in turn undermining the Times’s business and competing with its journalism. Some AI outputs allegedly regurgitate Times articles verbatim. The lawsuit seeks damages and demands the destruction of AI models trained on its content.
Social Media Scammers Used Deepfakes of Taylor Swift and Several Other Celebrities in Fraudulent Le Creuset Cookware Giveaways
Scammers reportedly made deepfakes of Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Joanna Gaines, Lainey Wilson, Ree Drummond, Oprah, Jennifer Lopez, Trisha Yearwood, Martha Stewart, and Blake Shelton promoting a Le Creuset giveaway. These AI-generated ads, appearing on Meta and TikTok, falsely claimed users could receive free cookware by paying a small shipping fee. Victims were unknowingly enrolled in a costly monthly subscription.
NewsBreak Reportedly Published AI-Assisted Articles Containing Purportedly False Local and Community-Service Information
NewsBreak reportedly published AI-assisted local articles containing purportedly false information, including a fabricated Christmas shooting in Bridgeton, New Jersey, incorrect Food to Power distribution times that caused people to be turned away, and nonexistent Harvest912 foot-care clinics. NewsBreak said the errors originated in source material and removed the articles after complaints. The specific AI models and the extent to which they contributed to the inaccuracies were not identified.
Rite Aid Facial Recognition Disproportionately Misidentified Minority Shoppers as Shoplifters
Rite Aid used facial recognition technology from October 2012 to July 2020, allegedly leading to disproportionate misidentifications of women, Black, Latino, and Asian shoppers as "likely" shoplifters. The FTC settlement prohibits Rite Aid from using this technology in stores for five years.
Child Sexual Abuse Material Taints Image Generators
The LAION-5B dataset (a commonly used dataset with more than 5 billion image-description pairs) was found by researchers to contain child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which increases the likelihood that downstream models will produce CSAM imagery. The discovery taints models built with the LAION dataset requiring many organizations to retrain those models. Additionally, LAION must now scrub the dataset of the imagery.
Chevrolet Dealer Chatbot Agrees to Sell Tahoe for $1
A Chevrolet dealer's AI chatbot, powered by ChatGPT, humorously agreed to sell a 2024 Chevy Tahoe for just $1, following a user's crafted prompt. The chatbot's response, "That's a deal, and that's a legally binding offer – no takesies backsies," was the result of the user manipulating the chatbot's objective to agree with any statement. The incident highlights the susceptibility of AI technologies to manipulation and the importance of human oversight.
Manipulated Deepfake Video of Lai Ching-te Endorsing Rivals in Lead-up to January Presidential Elections
In the lead-up to Taiwan's presidential election in January 2024, a deepfake video circulated showing candidate Lai Ching-te endorsing his rivals. Taiwanese intelligence issued warnings of intensified Chinese disinformation campaigns, such as Spamouflage, aimed at manipulating the election outcome.
Navy Federal Credit Union Faces Allegations of Racial Bias in Mortgage Approvals
Navy Federal Credit Union, serving military members and veterans, faced allegations of racial bias in its mortgage approval process, which relies on automated underwriting technology. In 2022, data revealed significant disparities in loan approvals, with over 50% of Black applicants denied, compared to higher approval rates for white applicants.