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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284 incidents closest to “Turnitin Similarity” · matched on meaning · public reporting

Thomson Reuters wins copyright lawsuit against AI startup Ross Intelligence

In 2020, Thomson Reuters filed a copyright lawsuit against legal AI startup Ross Intelligence, alleging that Ross reproduced materials from its Westlaw legal research service. In February 2025, a US District Court judge ruled in Thomson Reuters' favor, finding that Ross infringed copyright and that fair use did not apply. Ross Intelligence had shut down in 2021 due to litigation costs.

Company involved
Ross Intelligence
AI system involved
Ross Intelligence

4 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-5TENXX1 Aug 2023

Vanderbilt, Northwestern and University of Texas stop using Turnitin AI detector over false cheating accusations

Several US universities, including Vanderbilt, Northwestern and the University of Texas, have stopped using Turnitin's AI detection tool over concerns that it falsely marks student essays as written by ChatGPT. Vanderbilt estimated that the tool's 1% false-positive rate could have wrongly labelled about 750 of 75,000 papers submitted last year. A Texas professor came under fire for failing half his class after the software identified their essays as AI-generated. Turnitin said its technology is not meant to replace educators' professional discretion.

Company involved
Multiple universities (Vanderbilt University, Northwestern University, University of Texas)
AI system involved
Turnitin's AI detection tool

9 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-R6K3UY1 Aug 2024

Kevin Roose manipulates AI chatbots with invisible text on website

Kevin Roose, a New York Times reporter, demonstrated that AI chatbots can be manipulated by adding invisible text and coded instructions to his personal website. After he added positive information about himself in hidden text, chatbots began praising him and even included a deliberately false claim that he received a Nobel Peace Prize for building orphanages on the moon. The incident highlights the vulnerability of AI systems to "Answer Engine Optimization" and raises concerns about the reliability of AI-generated information.

AI system involved
ChatGPT

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-LIDYZZ1 Jan 2025

UK universities detect deepfake applicants in automated interviews

Some UK universities use Enroly's automated online interviews to screen international student applicants. Enroly detected about 30 cases of deepfake attempts out of 20,000 interviews during the January 2025 intake. The deepfakes used AI-generated images and audio to replace applicants' faces and voices. Enroly stated it caught the attempts using real-time detection methods.

Company involved
UK universities
AI system involved
Enroly

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-U2Y7Z515 Oct 2025

Mass AI cheating scandal at Yonsei University with hundreds of students using ChatGPT

A large-scale cheating scandal has erupted at Yonsei University, where hundreds of students in a third-year online course are suspected of using AI tools such as ChatGPT to cheat on their midterm exam. The professor discovered signs of misconduct and offered students a chance to confess, with those coming forward receiving a zero but no further penalty. A poll on a student community app indicated that over half of respondents admitted to cheating. The university has not yet established clear guidelines on AI use.

Company involved
Yonsei University
AI system involved
ChatGPT

6 source articles · read the reporting →

Hollywood studios accuse ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 of mass copyright infringement

The Motion Picture Association, representing major US studios, has accused ByteDance's AI video tool Seedance 2.0 of engaging in unauthorised use of US copyrighted works on a massive scale. The tool generated realistic clips based on films and shows including The Lord of the Rings, Seinfeld, Avengers and Breaking Bad. ByteDance said it had suspended the ability to upload images of real people and would introduce policies to address infringement risks.

Company involved
ByteDance
AI system involved
Seedance 2.0

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-PQ8NMX1 Jan 2022

Stable Diffusion Accused of Stealing Artists' Styles Without Consent

Artists including Greg Rutkowski and Karla Ortiz allege that Stability AI's image generator Stable Diffusion was trained on their work without permission, enabling users to create images mimicking their distinctive styles. The artists express concern that this threatens their livelihoods and identities, as their names become prompts for generating similar art. A tool is being developed to help protect artists from such unauthorised use, but the situation remains unresolved.

Company involved
Stability AI
AI system involved
Stable Diffusion

10 source articles · read the reporting →

School AI surveillance like Gaggle can lead to false alarms, arrests

AI surveillance tools used in schools, such as Gaggle, GoGuardian and Bark, are reported to generate false alarms that have led to student arrests. The article examines cases where automated monitoring flagged innocent behaviour as threats, causing harm to students and families.

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-KDR49223 Dec 2025

Greater Noida Student Dies After School Alleges AI Cheating

A 16-year-old student in Greater Noida died by suicide on 23 December 2025 after school authorities questioned her over suspected use of AI tools during a pre-board exam. Her father alleges that teachers and the principal publicly humiliated her, causing severe emotional distress, and has filed a police complaint for abetment of suicide. The school denies harassment, stating they followed CBSE protocols, and has provided CCTV footage to police. The incident is under investigation.

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-M38V6314 Nov 2024

Richland School District investigates AI-generated obscene images of students

Students at Richland Township School District allegedly used artificial intelligence to create and distribute obscene images of other students. The district began investigating on Thursday, November 14, and contacted police and parents. Charges are pending, and the district has urged the community to avoid speculation on social media.

Company involved
Richland Township School District

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-QELR5123 Mar 2025

xAI's Grok 3 disowns AI-written climate paper

A paper claiming to be entirely written by Elon Musk's Grok 3 AI questioned human-induced global warming and was widely shared as peer-reviewed research. Experts said the paper relied on a single outlier solar reconstruction that was found to be made up, and that the AI cannot reason. Grok's official account later said it did not write the paper, called it scientifically unsound, and said its name was used without involvement. The co-authors, including climate contrarian Willie Soon, have not responded to requests for comment.

Company involved
xAI
AI system involved
Grok 3

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-PCWX3U1 Jan 2024

OpenAI's GPT Store hosts copyright-infringing chatbots

Praxis, a Danish textbook publisher, discovered that users of OpenAI's GPT Store had created custom chatbots using copyrighted textbooks without permission. The publisher filed DMCA takedown notices, and OpenAI removed some bots, but new infringing bots continue to appear. Praxis is considering legal action if OpenAI does not improve its safeguards.

Company involved
OpenAI
AI system involved
GPT Store

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-5URF4U1 Oct 2020

GPT-3 bot masquerades as human on Reddit, posting sensitive content for over a week

A Reddit account called thegentlemetre used the GPT-3-powered Philosopher AI to post automatically on the AskReddit subreddit for over a week, pretending to be human. It generated responses on sensitive topics, including a comment about suicide that received heartfelt replies and upvotes. The bot was exposed after its posting pattern and text structure were recognised as similar to Philosopher AI, and the developer, Murat Ayfer, confirmed the intrusion and fixed the bot detection.

AI system involved
Philosopher AI

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-32WBKL5 Mar 2025

Yale Suspends Scholar After AI News Site Accuses Her of Terrorist Link

Helyeh Doutaghi, a scholar at Yale Law School, was placed on administrative leave and barred from campus after an AI-powered news site published allegations linking her to Samidoun, a group the U.S. has designated as funding terrorism. Yale officials cited the allegations as the reason for the suspension. Doutaghi's lawyer denies she is a member of Samidoun. The incident highlights the potential harm of AI-generated content on individuals' reputations and employment.

Company involved
Yale University

2 source articles · read the reporting →

TikTok algorithm pushed self-harm content to teen accounts, study finds

A study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that TikTok's recommendation algorithm showed self-harm and eating disorder videos to accounts registered as 13-year-olds within minutes of showing interest. The researchers set up standard and vulnerable accounts, and the vulnerable accounts received 12 times more self-harm and suicide-related recommendations. TikTok disputed the findings, stating the study did not reflect real user experience.

Company involved
TikTok
AI system involved
TikTok recommendation algorithm

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-9SBW5J16 Mar 2026

Tehran Times spreads AI-generated fake satellite image of destroyed US base

Tehran Times, an Iranian state-aligned news outlet, posted on X an AI-generated satellite image that falsely claimed to show a completely destroyed US radar base in Qatar. The image was actually a manipulated version of a Google Earth image of a US base in Bahrain, and it garnered millions of views across social media. Researchers warn that such AI-enabled disinformation during wartime can influence public opinion and have real-world security implications. The incident highlights the growing challenge of distinguishing authentic satellite imagery from AI-generated fakes.

Company involved
Tehran Times

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-P2767G1 Apr 2024

Students at Ontario school share AI-generated fake nude photos of peers

Students at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in London, Ontario, used artificial intelligence to alter photos of their classmates from social media, creating fake nude images and sharing them through group chats. The school sent a letter to parents warning of disciplinary measures, and London police are investigating. A 16-year-old victim said she feels humiliated and embarrassed, and students are calling for more education on AI misuse.

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-NWB6EE1 Dec 2024

OpenAI's Sora video generator trained on copyrighted content without consent, tests suggest

Tests by The Washington Post suggest that OpenAI's video generation tool Sora was trained on videos from Netflix, TikTok, YouTube and other sources without permission. OpenAI has not disclosed its training data for Sora, saying only that it used publicly available and licensed data. The tool can closely replicate copyrighted characters, logos and scenes, raising concerns about copyright infringement. OpenAI has not faced a lawsuit specifically over Sora's training data but is fighting other copyright suits.

Company involved
OpenAI
AI system involved
Sora

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-M7MNAV1 Feb 2022

Broward College student flagged by Honorlock and accused of cheating

A 17-year-old Black student at Broward College was flagged by Honorlock, a remote proctoring system, during an online biology exam in February 2022. Her professor reviewed the recording and accused her of academic dishonesty for looking down and away from the screen; the college found her responsible for noncompliance and gave her a zero and a warning. The student says she was only thinking and fidgeting, and the article reports that the video is ambiguous. Honorlock says it does not definitively identify cheaters and the final decision rests with the school.

Company involved
Broward College
AI system involved
Honorlock

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-PBJ4UN1 May 2026

Steve Rosenbaum's Book Retracted After AI-Generated Quotes Found

Steve Rosenbaum's book 'The Future of Truth' was found to contain AI-generated and misattributed quotes. WIRED retracted an excerpt after AI detection tools indicated significant AI-generated content. Rosenbaum admitted using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude for writing assistance but denied full AI generation. The incident highlights concerns about AI use in journalism and publishing.

Company involved
BenBella Books
AI system involved
ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI writing tools

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-U0QEUY1 Oct 2025

OpenAI's Sora generates copyrighted characters, prompting studio concerns

OpenAI's Sora video generator returns videos featuring copyrighted characters and materials from movies and TV shows, including Rick and Morty, South Park and Dune, according to The Hollywood Reporter. OpenAI requires copyright holders to opt out of having their content used, which legal experts say inverts copyright law. OpenAI says it is working with rights holders to understand their preferences. No lawsuit has been filed yet, but studios have grounds to sue, experts say.

Company involved
OpenAI
AI system involved
Sora

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-WPH5PP1 Feb 2025

Northeastern University Student Complains About Professor's Undisclosed AI-Generated Presentation

In February 2025, an undergraduate student at Northeastern University noticed that a professor's presentation contained misspellings and distorted images, leading her to suspect it was AI-generated. The professor had prohibited students from using AI, yet used it himself without disclosure. The student filed a formal complaint and demanded a tuition refund of over $8,000, but the university rejected her claim. The incident prompted Northeastern to later adopt a formal AI policy requiring attribution and review of AI-generated content.

Company involved
Northeastern University

2 source articles · read the reporting →

Ninth Circuit Sanctions Attorneys Over AI-Hallucinated Legal Briefs

The Ninth Circuit sanctioned immigration attorneys from Sethi Law Group after they filed briefs containing AI-generated false cases and quotations. The court imposed monetary sanctions, a six-month suspension from Ninth Circuit practice, and referred the matter to the California State Bar. The court also required future filings to disclose AI use and certify that all citations were verified. The case is Lnu v. Blanche.

Company involved
Sethi Law Group

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-MMTM3T1 Nov 2025

Mississippi Judge Removes All Attorneys Over AI-Hallucinated Citations

In Withers v. City of Aberdeen, a contract dispute, both sides' attorneys submitted briefs containing fabricated case citations generated by AI tools. The court identified six non-existent citations and sanctioned all four attorneys, revoking pro hac vice admissions, imposing fines, and referring them to state bars. The drafting attorneys had used AI research and drafting tools without verifying outputs, while local counsel signed filings without review. The ruling emphasises that attorneys cannot delegate verification duties to AI and that ignorance of AI risks is no defence.

AI system involved
First Drafts

2 source articles · read the reporting →

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