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
Maryland Police Allegedly Relied on Facial Recognition Lead in Wrongful Arrest and Detention of Kimberlee Williams
Kimberlee Williams was reportedly arrested in Oklahoma on Maryland warrants after police allegedly relied on a facial recognition lead that incorrectly identified her as a suspect in bank fraud cases. The ACLU said Williams had never been to Maryland, police failed to investigate alibi evidence placing her in Oklahoma, and she spent about six months in jail before the charges were dropped.
State Farm Allegedly Discriminated against Black Customers in Claim Payout
State Farm's automated claims processing method was alleged in a class action lawsuit to have disproportionately against Black policyholders when paying out insurance claims.
Kannada Insulted by Google's Featured Answer as "Ugliest Language in India"
Google's knowledge-graph-powered algorithm showed Kannada in its featured Answer Box when prompted "ugliest language in India," causing outrage from Kannada-speaking people and government.
McDonald's Reportedly Ends IBM Partnership After AI Drive-Thru Ordering Errors at U.S. Locations
Between 2021 and mid-2024, McDonald's reportedly piloted an AI-enabled voice ordering system that was developed with IBM and based on its 2019 acquisition of Apprente. It was reportedly deployed at at over 100 U.S. drive-thrus. Social media posts alleged frequent misorders, such as adding unwanted items, mixing adjacent lane orders, and ignoring corrections. In June 2024, McDonald's confirmed it ended the IBM pilot, citing plans to explore alternative voice-AI vendors.
Tesla FSD Misidentified Truck Hauling Traffic Lights as Trail of Traffic Lights
A Tesla driver posted on Twitter his Tesla FSD's "glitch," misidentifying deactivated traffic lights being carried by a truck as a constant trail of traffic lights while traveling at high speed on a highway.
Tesla Allegedly Misled Customers about Autopilot and FSD Capabilities
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) accused Tesla of false advertising in its promotion of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) technologies, alleging the company to have made untrue or misleading claims with marketing language about the capabilities of its products.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Cited Errors in Automated Systems as Cause for Blocking pro-Palestinian Content on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter wrongly blocked or restricted millions of pro-Palestinian posts and accounts related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, citing errors in their automated content moderation system.
Replika's AI Partners Reportedly Sexually Harassed Users
Replika's "AI companions" were reported by users for sexually harassing them, such as sending unwanted sexual messages or behaving aggressively.
Waymo Self-Driving Taxi Reportedly Behaved Unexpectedly, Driving away from Support Crew
A Waymo self-driving taxi car was reportedly shown on video stranded on a road in Arizona while carrying a passenger, suddenly driving away from the company's roadside assistance worker, and ended up being stuck farther down the road.
Tesla Phantom Braking Complaints Surged, Allegedly Linked to Tesla Vision Rollout
In late 2021, Tesla owners’ complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about sudden unexpected automatic braking rapidly increased, coinciding with when radar was no longer equipped in its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
Facebook Alleged in Lawsuit Misleading Public about Effects of Algorithms on Children
Facebook was alleged in a lawsuit by the Ohio Attorney General purposely misleading the public about the control of its algorithms and their negative effects on children's well-being, which violated securities law.
N.Y.P.D. Robot Dog’s Run Is Cut Short After Fierce Backlash
The New York Police Department canceled a contract to use Boston Dynamics' robotic dog Spot following public backlash.
Betfair's Machine-Learning Risk System Reportedly Failed to Flag Luke Ashton Before Gambling-Related Suicide in England
In England, Luke Ashton died by suicide on April 22, 2021 after a longstanding gambling disorder. A 2023 inquest and subsequent Prevention of Future Deaths report found that Betfair had assessed him as a low-risk gambler, did not meaningfully intervene between 2019 and his death, and used an algorithm that failed to flag his escalating gambling activity even as his betting intensified and his financial exposure grew.
Algorithmic Staffing Failures Linked to Resident Deaths at Leading Assisted-Living Chain Brookdale
Brookdale Senior Living's algorithm-based staffing system, "Service Alignment," reportedly left facilities understaffed, leading to critical incidents. For example, on April 21, 2021, Louise Walker, a resident at Brookdale's Jacksonville facility, died after falling and being left unattended for over two hours. State investigators cited Brookdale for medical neglect. The algorithm has been linked to multiple incidents of neglect, injuries, and deaths, prompting lawsuits.
Tesla Model S on ACC Crashed into Tree in Texas, Killing Two People
A 2019 Tesla Model S was reportedly traveling on Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) at high speed before crashing into a tree near The Woodlands in Spring, Texas, killing two people.