The record

Where automated decisions went wrong

Incidents gathered from public reporting around the world. Each one links to the articles it came from. None of it is a finding that anyone broke the law.

Reports people file about their own experience are not shown here and never will be without their agreement. Tell us what happened to you.

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260 incidents closest to “Online Injury Alerts” · matched on meaning · public reporting

WF-WWQVJ130 Sep 2026

Two Florida deputies arrested for Flock, ALPR abuse after TCPalm query - Yahoo

The Flock ALPR system was used by deputies to track the locations of a woman and a teenage girl for personal, non-law-enforcement purposes.

Company involved
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
AI system involved
Flock Safety ALPR

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-3XBQHG1 Sep 2023

UK schools install toilet sensors that listen for keywords to monitor pupils

Several UK schools, including St Joseph's College in Stoke-on-Trent, have installed Halo Smart Sensors in toilets that use machine learning to detect keywords such as 'help me' and 'stop it'. The sensors trigger alerts to staff when keywords are detected, aiming to crack down on vaping and bullying. Privacy advocates argue the sensors violate children's privacy and may be unlawful. The schools have not sought parental consent for the monitoring.

Company involved
St Joseph's College
AI system involved
Halo Smart Sensors

4 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-Z8XGSC20 Jul 2025

Hallucination-laced TRO raises alarm bells on AI use by courts - Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

A generative AI tool drafted a temporary restraining order in Jackson Federation of Teachers v. Fitch containing fabricated parties, declarations, and statutory language, affecting the state of Mississippi and the plaintiffs.

Company involved
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-SZ823I17 Apr 2025

Florida attorney general asks court to bar OpenAI from developing new models in child-harm lawsuit

ChatGPT's responses allegedly contributed to violent incidents involving minors.

Company involved
OpenAI
AI system involved
ChatGPT

1 source article · read the reporting →

ChatGPT medical advice brought man 'to brink of death', lawsuit alleges - BBC

ChatGPT repeatedly misdiagnosed Scott Winters and advised him not to seek medical help, leading to a near-fatal pulmonary embolism.

Company involved
OpenAI
AI system involved
ChatGPT

1 source article · read the reporting →

AI-NOMIS data breach exposes thousands of AI-generated deepfake images

Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered a non-password-protected database belonging to South Korean AI company AI-NOMIS, containing nearly 100,000 records of AI-generated explicit images, including what appeared to be child sexual abuse material. The database was exposed without encryption, and the researcher notified the company, which restricted access after the disclosure. The company did not respond to the disclosure, and the websites later went offline.

Company involved
AI-NOMIS
AI system involved
GenNomis

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-HE06HX10 May 2024

NHTSA investigation PE24015: Rear-end Collisions Involving Zoox Vehicles

Automated driving system controlled vehicle braking and acceleration, leading to rear-end collisions with other road users

Company involved
Zoox
AI system involved
Zoox vehicle

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-N2X8EZ1 Jun 2024

Australian children's photos scraped into LAION-5B AI dataset without consent

Human Rights Watch found that the LAION-5B dataset, used to train AI tools, contains links to identifiable photos of Australian children scraped from the web without consent. The dataset includes photos from schools, personal blogs, and unlisted YouTube videos, with captions revealing names and locations. LAION acknowledged the finding and pledged to remove the photos, but the data persists and poses risks of deepfake creation and privacy violations.

Company involved
LAION
AI system involved
LAION-5B

4 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-DCO4UT1 Aug 2016

Allegheny County child neglect screening algorithm shows racial disparities

The Allegheny Family Screening Tool, an algorithm used to screen child neglect reports, has been found to flag a disproportionate number of Black children for mandatory investigation compared to white children. A technical glitch also presented wrong risk scores for over two years. County officials say social workers can override the algorithm and that the glitch has been fixed, but critics argue the tool hardens racial disparities and lacks transparency.

Company involved
Allegheny County Department of Human Services
AI system involved
Allegheny Family Screening Tool

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-1CLBYP4 Aug 2025

Lawsuit alleges OpenAI's ChatGPT-4o caused death of Joshua Enneking

Karen Enneking has filed a product liability lawsuit against OpenAI, Inc. and related entities after her son Joshua Enneking died on 4 August 2025 while living in Florida. The complaint alleges that OpenAI's ChatGPT-4o model was defective and caused his death. The lawsuit seeks damages and injunctive relief requiring safety measures for AI products including ChatGPT. The case is pending in San Francisco County Superior Court.

Company involved
OpenAI, Inc.
AI system involved
ChatGPT-4o

6 source articles · read the reporting →

DFFH breaches privacy by using ChatGPT in child protection report

A child protection worker at the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) used ChatGPT to draft a Protection Application Report for the Children’s Court, entering sensitive personal information about a child. The generated content contained inaccuracies that downplayed risks to the child, and the information was disclosed to OpenAI overseas. An investigation by the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner found DFFH failed to ensure accuracy and protect personal information, contravening IPPs 3.1 and 4.1. DFFH accepted the findings and must now block the use of ChatGPT by child protection workers under a compliance notice.

Company involved
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
AI system involved
ChatGPT

9 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-GFD7HX21 Sep 2017

Instagram uses journalist's rape threat post for advertising

In September 2017, tech journalist Olivia Solon discovered that Instagram had used one of her most engaging posts—which contained a rape threat—to advertise its service to others on Facebook. The automated system selected the post without detecting the harmful content, causing her to be reminded of the threat and exposing it to her friends and family. Solon publicly criticised the company on Twitter, but no response or remediation was reported.

Company involved
Instagram

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-HGPFUV5 Feb 2019

YouTube recommends self-harm videos to children as young as 13

The Telegraph found that YouTube was recommending graphic self-harm videos to users as young as 13, prompting criticism from UK health secretary Matt Hancock and the NSPCC. A YouTube spokesperson stated the platform has strict policies against such content and removes flagged violations. The NSPCC called on the government to impose a statutory duty of care on social media platforms to protect children.

Company involved
YouTube
AI system involved
YouTube

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-HYVZH81 Jul 2025

Delhi man arrested for sharing AI-generated explicit images of ex-girlfriend on Instagram

A 21-year-old man in Delhi was arrested for allegedly using AI tools to create explicit images of his ex-girlfriend and sharing them via fake Instagram accounts. The victim reported the harassment to police, who traced the IP addresses and arrested the accused. The police filed a case under stalking and insulting modesty sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The victim described feeling shaken and traumatised.

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-JHPNXJ26 Feb 2025

Meta apologises after Instagram Reels algorithm floods users with violent content

In late February 2025, Instagram's Reels feature began recommending a flood of violent and graphic videos to users, including footage of deaths, animal abuse, and dismemberment. Users reported the disturbing content on forums, and Meta acknowledged an algorithm error. The company fixed the issue and apologised, while the UK-based Molly Rose Foundation demanded a full explanation, citing concerns over content moderation rollbacks.

Company involved
Meta
AI system involved
Instagram Reels

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-IIYZYM1 Jan 2016

Ajin USA pleads guilty after worker crushed by robot in Alabama

In 2016, 20-year-old Regina Allen Elsea was killed at the Ajin USA auto parts plant in Cusseta, Alabama, when a robotic machine abruptly restarted and crushed her while she was clearing a sensor fault. The company pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of willful violation of OSHA standards for failing to enforce lockout/tagout safety procedures. Ajin was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine and $1 million restitution to Elsea's estate, and must comply with a safety plan under third-party audit. A separate civil lawsuit by her family is ongoing.

Company involved
Ajin USA

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-DOU85A1 Sep 2023

IWF discovers thousands of AI-generated child sexual abuse images

In September 2023, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) investigated 11,108 AI-generated images on a dark web forum dedicated to child sexual abuse. Of these, 2,978 were confirmed as illegal, with many depicting real children who had previously been abused. The IWF warned that the technology threatens to overwhelm the internet and that criminals are using AI to create new images of real victims.

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-IIIT2W12 Jul 2023

Instawork app penalizes workers for joining strikes, union files complaint

Unite Here Local 11 filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Instawork, a staffing app. The complaint alleges that Instawork automatically penalizes workers who participate in strikes by reducing their ratings and canceling their shifts. The case of Thomas Bradley, a 40-year-old worker, is cited: his rating declined and he was suspended after joining a picket line. Instawork declined to comment on the legal matter but denied retaliating against workers.

Company involved
Instawork
AI system involved
Instawork

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-RQJ6S16 Oct 2023

UK ICO issues preliminary enforcement notice to Snap over My AI privacy risks

The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a preliminary enforcement notice to Snap, the owner of Snapchat, over its AI chatbot My AI. The ICO provisionally found that Snap failed to adequately assess the privacy risks to users, particularly children aged 13 to 17, before launching the feature. Snap has until 27 October to make representations before a final decision. If enforced, Snap could face a fine of up to 4% of global turnover or £17.5 million, and may be required to stop processing data for My AI in the UK.

Company involved
Snap
AI system involved
My AI

8 source articles · read the reporting →

Whitebridge AI faces complaint over false reputation reports

Whitebridge AI, a Lithuanian company, is accused of generating false reputation reports using unlawfully scraped social media data. The reports contained false warnings for 'sexual nudity' and 'dangerous political content'. Privacy group Noyb filed a complaint with the Lithuanian data protection authority, alleging violations of the GDPR. The complainants sought access to their data but received no response, and were later required to provide a qualified electronic signature to correct errors.

Company involved
Whitebridge AI

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-IUHYJ51 Jan 2023

New Mexico Attorney General files lawsuit against Snapchat for harming children through recommendation algorithms

The New Mexico Department of Justice filed an unredacted complaint against Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, alleging that the platform's features, including Quick Add and Discovery feed, recommended adult strangers and drug dealers to minors, leading to sextortion, sexual abuse, and drug-related deaths. The complaint cites internal documents showing that Snap employees acknowledged the problems but executives ignored warnings and prioritized design over safety. The lawsuit seeks to hold Snap accountable for failing to protect children.

Company involved
Snap Inc.
AI system involved
Snapchat

8 source articles · read the reporting →

Audit reveals flaws in Spain's VioGén gender violence algorithm

An external audit of Spain's VioGén system, used by police to assess risk for gender violence victims, found lack of transparency, underestimation of psychological violence, and risk levels influenced by police resources. The audit, based on interviews and data from murdered women, revealed that 55 women who were killed had received insufficient protection. The Ministry of Interior denied the findings, calling the study lacking in rigor, and defended the system as scientifically validated.

Company involved
Ministerio del Interior
AI system involved
VioGén

7 source articles · read the reporting →

Oregon child welfare agency stops using algorithm to screen families for investigations

The Oregon Department of Human Services announced it will stop using its Safety at Screening Tool algorithm, which helped hotline workers decide which families to investigate for child abuse and neglect. The decision followed concerns about racial bias and disparities, as the algorithm was inspired by a Pennsylvania tool that had flagged a disproportionate number of Black children. The agency will replace the algorithm with a new Structured Decision Making model.

Company involved
Oregon Department of Human Services
AI system involved
Safety at Screening Tool

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Instacart's rating and fraud detection system unfairly penalizes shoppers

Instacart shoppers allege that the company's automated rating and fraud detection system unfairly penalizes them for issues outside their control, such as customer fraud. The system assigns low ratings and blames shoppers for missing items, leading to reduced pay and deactivation. The Gig Workers Collective has sent an open letter to CEO Fidji Simo demanding changes including higher base pay, item commission, and occupational death benefits.

Company involved
Instacart

10 source articles · read the reporting →

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