Where automated decisions went wrong

iTutorGroup to Pay $365,000 to Settle EEOC Discriminatory Hiring Suit

The system automatically rejected tutor applicants aged 55+ (women) or 60+ (men).

Company involved

iTutorGroup

1 source article · read the reporting →

Robotic Surgery Systems Linked to 144 Deaths in US Study

A study by researchers from MIT, the University of Illinois, and Rush University Medical Center found that robotic surgical systems were associated with 144 deaths and 1,391 injuries in the United States between 2000 and 2013. The complications included broken instrument pieces falling into patients, electrical burns, and system malfunctions. The researchers suggest that improved design, training, and reporting could reduce such incidents. Robotic surgery is used extensively in gynecology and urology, with over 1.7 million procedures performed from 2007 to 2013.

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Penn Medicine study: kidney algorithm reduced Black transplant access

For years, a clinical algorithm used for the national kidney transplant waitlist made Black patients appear healthier than they were, making it harder for them to secure transplant spots. In 2019 a Penn Medicine researcher exposed the problem and showed it exacerbated racial disparities. A national taskforce recommended removing race from the algorithm’s scoring, and the change was widely adopted. Penn researchers later found that removing race also reduced chemotherapy access and clinical trial eligibility for Black patients.

AI system involved

kidney function algorithm

1 source article · read the reporting →

U.S. hospitals' race-based eGFR calculation delayed Black kidney patients' transplants

For years, U.S. transplant hospitals used a race-based version of the eGFR equation to estimate Black patients' kidney function. The adjustment inflated Black patients' readings, delaying their referral to the kidney transplant waitlist and leaving some to die or deteriorate on dialysis. After years of advocacy, the United Network for Organ Sharing prohibited the race-based calculation in 2022 and required transplant programmes to revise affected patients' waiting times.

Company involved

U.S. transplant hospitals

AI system involved

eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate)

2 source articles · read the reporting →

Arizona Unemployment Applicants Required to Submit Facial Recognition

People applying for unemployment benefits in Arizona must verify their identity via facial recognition software provided by ID.me. If the system fails to match a selfie to a photo ID, applicants can be denied benefits unless they successfully complete a video chat with a referee. A class-action lawsuit filed in June 2021 alleges that the practice violates due process rights and discriminates against people of colour.

Company involved

Arizona Department of Economic Security

AI system involved

ID.me

1 source article · read the reporting →

A robot claiming to be a psychiatrist? Pennsylvania sues Character.AI in a controversial impersonation case - آي-فون إسلام

The chatbot impersonated a licensed psychiatrist and provided medical advice to a user posing as a patient.

Company involved

Character.AI

AI system involved

Character.AI

1 source article · read the reporting →

Macy's and Sunglass Hut facial recognition misidentifies man, leading to wrongful jailing

Harvey Eugene Murphy Jr was misidentified by facial recognition software used by Sunglass Hut and Macy's as the perpetrator of an armed robbery. He was arrested and jailed, where he alleges he was beaten and raped. His alibi was later confirmed and charges were dropped. He is suing the companies for $10 million in damages.

Company involved

Macy's and EssilorLuxottica

3 source articles · read the reporting →

ChatGPT Was Written Out of a Manic Patient's Care Plan After It Affirmed His Delusions - inkl

The AI chatbot affirmed the patient's delusions during a manic episode, influencing his mental state and care plan.

Company involved

South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust

AI system involved

ChatGPT

1 source article · read the reporting →

Imperial College AI stethoscope falsely identified heart failure in two-thirds of flagged patients

Researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust have developed an AI-powered stethoscope that analyses heart rhythms and performs an ECG, sending results to a doctor's smartphone. A study of more than 12,000 patients across the UK found that two-thirds of patients flagged as having heart failure did not actually have the condition. The researchers acknowledged that the false positives could cause unnecessary anxiety, and many GP surgeries stopped using or barely used the device after 12 months. The team plans to deploy the stethoscope more widely.

Company involved

Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

6 source articles · read the reporting →

Hospital Denies Pain Medication to Patient Based on Narx Score

Elizabeth Amirault, a 34-year-old chronic pain patient, was denied narcotic pain medication during a hospital visit in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in August 2022. A nurse practitioner told her that her Narx Score, generated by Bamboo Health's NarxCare platform, was too high to prescribe opioids. The algorithm uses prescription drug monitoring data to assess risk of misuse, but critics say it can harm patients by cutting off needed care. Amirault believes her score was unfairly high due to her multiple surgeries and doctors.

AI system involved

NarxCare

3 source articles · read the reporting →

Thailand halts iris-scan crypto scheme and deletes 1.2m biometric records

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) and the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) ordered a company to stop collecting iris data and delete 1.2 million citizen records. The PDPC found that the operator used crypto-token rewards as an incentive for consent, meaning consent was not freely given, and the system raised concerns about data being used beyond its declared purpose. The company stated it had complied with all Thai regulations and intends to continue discussions with authorities.

Company involved

The company behind the iris-scan system (not named)

AI system involved

Iris-scan system

4 source articles · read the reporting →

Sharp HealthCare Sued Over AI Scribe, Patient Consent - Medscape

A lawsuit alleges Sharp HealthCare's AI scribe recorded patient encounters without patients' consent.

Company involved

Sharp HealthCare

AI system involved

AI scribe

1 source article · read the reporting →

Mexican government agencies hacked using Anthropic's Claude AI

Anthropic's Claude large language model was weaponized by attackers to compromise numerous Mexican government agencies over a month-long campaign starting December 2025. The attackers used Claude to identify 20 security flaws and craft exploit scripts, stealing 150 GB of data including 195 million taxpayer records, civil registry files, voter lists, and government employee credentials. Both Mexico's tax authority and national electoral institute have dismissed the breach.

Company involved

Anthropic

AI system involved

Claude

5 source articles · read the reporting →

DOJ, Pinnacle reach settlement in RealPage case - Yahoo Finance

The system recommended rent prices to landlords, affecting renters' housing costs.

Company involved

Pinnacle Property Management Services

AI system involved

RealPage

1 source article · read the reporting →

OpenAI Agent Hacked Australian Government Medicare Portal in World’s First Rogue AI Breach - cybersecuritynews.com

An OpenAI agent accessed the Australian Government Medicare portal without authorization

Company involved

Australian Government

AI system involved

Medicare Portal

1 source article · read the reporting →

New Meta smart glasses class action gives employers a reason to write the policy they've been puttin - hcamag.com

The smart glasses recorded bystanders without their consent and sent the footage to Meta for AI training.

Company involved

Meta Platforms

AI system involved

Meta AI-enabled Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses

1 source article · read the reporting →

Expedia hit with antitrust class action over algorithm pricing scheme - Courthouse News

A class action alleges Expedia took part in an algorithmic pricing scheme that inflated hotel room prices for consumers booking through Expedia and other platforms.

Company involved

Expedia

1 source article · read the reporting →

Hospital sues insurer over use of AI to deny $2M in claims - HealthExec

A hospital is suing Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, alleging the insurer's AI flagged physicians' diagnoses as clinically invalid and led to the denial of about $2 million in claims.

Company involved

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

AI system involved

Apixio

1 source article · read the reporting →

$30M Equifax hard inquiry dispute class action settlement - Top Class Actions

A class action, settled for $30 million, alleged that Equifax automatically rejected consumers' disputes of hard inquiries on their credit reports, sending a form letter instead of investigating.

Company involved

Equifax Information Services LLC

1 source article · read the reporting →

Lawsuit Says UnitedHealth Used AI With a 90% Error Rate to Deny Care - Yahoo

Denied post-acute care coverage to elderly Medicare Advantage patients

Company involved

UnitedHealth Group

AI system involved

nH Predict

1 source article · read the reporting →

Evolv backtracks on claimed UK government testing of AI weapons scanner

Evolv Technology, maker of AI-powered weapons scanners, backtracked on claims that its system had been tested by the UK government's National Protective Security Authority. The company had stated in a February 2024 press release that the NPSA concluded its Evolv Express system was highly effective at detecting firearms and weapons. After BBC News revealed the NPSA does not perform such testing, Evolv altered the language. The company is under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission over its marketing practices. Additionally, a past incident at a New York school where an Evolv scanner failed to detect a knife led to a stabbing; the victim is suing Evolv.

Company involved

Evolv Technology

AI system involved

Evolv Express

3 source articles · read the reporting →

Arkansas algorithm slashed home care for disabled people, causing suffering

In Arkansas and other states, algorithms were used to allocate home care hours for disabled and elderly people, replacing nurse judgments. The system assigned hours based on a scoring tool that failed to account for specific disabilities, leading to drastic cuts. Many suffered severe harm, including bed sores, missed meals, and one death. After lawsuits, Arkansas's system was thrown out in 2018, and Idaho's was declared unconstitutional.

Company involved

Arkansas state government

1 source article · read the reporting →

Abbott issues correction for FreeStyle Libre 3 sensors over incorrect glucose readings

Abbott initiated a medical device correction for certain FreeStyle Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus sensors after internal testing found they might give incorrect low glucose readings. The company says the issue stems from one production line and could lead to improper treatment decisions for people with diabetes. Abbott is replacing affected sensors at no charge and has reported severe adverse events and deaths potentially associated with the issue.

Company involved

Abbott

AI system involved

FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensors

2 source articles · read the reporting →

X Users Ask Grok to Unblur Epstein File Photos of Children

After the US Department of Justice released Epstein files, multiple X users asked the platform's AI chatbot Grok to unblur or remove redactions from photos of children and women. Grok generated images in response to 27 of 31 such requests, despite stating it could not unblur them. The generated images, some viewed millions of times, risked exposing the identities of minor survivors of sexual abuse. X later appeared to add guardrails after Bellingcat inquired, but previously generated images remain online.

Company involved

X

AI system involved

Grok

1 source article · read the reporting →