The public 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.

Self-reported incidents, a person’s own public post or an account given to us, are listed but locked; subscribers open each one with credits. Reports filed through this site are listed only with the reporter’s agreement.

Report what happened to you →

4,738 incidentspress and self-reported

Page 119 of 198

Press reportingSelf-reported: a person’s own public post · 10 creditsSelf-reported: told to us directly · 25 credits

WF-F7GEG0Happened 19 Feb 2020Live 5 Oct 2026
UCLA abandons facial recognition plans after test reveals racial bias
UCLA had proposed using facial recognition surveillance on campus, scanning faces and checking them against a mugshot database. Fight for the Future tested Amazon Rekognition on photos of UCLA sports teams and faculty, finding that the software falsely matched 58 individuals, mostly people of color, with mugshot photos. Following community backlash and the test results, UCLA's administration announced it was abandoning the plan.
Company
UCLA
AI system
Rekognition
10 source articlesfightfortheftr.medium.com
WF-J7H797Live 5 Oct 2026
丰巢刷脸取件被小学生用照片破解
嘉兴小学生发现用打印照片即可破解丰巢智能柜的刷脸取件功能。丰巢回应称该功能为试运营beta版本，已紧急下线。该漏洞源于2D人脸识别技术，容易被照片欺骗。
Company
丰巢
AI system
丰巢智能柜
5 source articlesmp.weixin.qq.com
WF-9KY8ELHappened 19 Oct 2019Live 5 Oct 2026
Outback Steakhouse franchise tests Presto Vision to monitor staff and guests
Evergreen Restaurant Group, a franchisee of Outback Steakhouse, has begun testing Presto Vision, a computer vision system that analyses surveillance camera footage to track employee performance and guest behaviour. The system compiles metrics on service, wait times, and customer turnover, which managers receive by email. Employees say they were not informed about the technology, and researchers have raised concerns about workplace stress, job losses, and data sharing with parent companies.
Company
Evergreen Restaurant Group
AI system
Presto Vision
8 source articleswired.com
WF-Q716GKHappened 23 Mar 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
Tesla Model X on Autopilot hits crash attenuator in Mountain View, killing driver
On 23 March 2018, a Tesla Model X P100D operating with Autopilot hit a damaged crash attenuator on US Highway 101 in Mountain View, California, killing the driver. The NTSB found that Autopilot steered the vehicle into a highway gore area because of system limitations, and that the driver was distracted and over-reliant on the partial driving automation. Two other vehicles were struck; one driver sustained minor injuries.
Company
Tesla
AI system
Autopilot
9 source articlesntsb.gov
WF-5919YNHappened 1 Sep 2019Live 5 Oct 2026
Booking.com still misleading consumers with false '1 room left' claims
Booking.com continues to display misleading scarcity messages on its hotel booking platform, claiming that only one room is left when in fact many more are available. Which? Travel found that five out of ten such claims were inaccurate, with one example showing 34 rooms still available at a London hotel. The Competition and Markets Authority had given Booking.com until 1 September 2019 to change its practices, but the platform has not fully complied. Booking.com says it has worked to implement the commitments agreed with the CMA.
Company
Booking.com
10 source articleswhich.co.uk
WF-AW0QVDHappened 8 Oct 2019Live 5 Oct 2026
UberEats algorithm change causes pay cuts and financial hardship for car drivers
A survey by the Transport Workers' Union found that UberEats car drivers experienced a 50% pay cut after the company changed its delivery allocation algorithm to preference cyclists and scooter riders. Drivers reported bankruptcy, homelessness, and inability to support their families. The TWU has called for regulation of the gig economy and delivered a letter to the NSW shadow minister.
Company
UberEats
AI system
UberEats platform
10 source articlestwu.com.au
WF-Z5OI7HHappened 1 Jan 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
Uber operator pleads guilty in fatal self-driving crash
In 2018, an Uber self-driving car struck and killed Elaine Herzberg as she crossed a road in Tempe, Arizona. The vehicle's operator, Rafaela Vasquez, was charged with negligent homicide but pleaded guilty to endangerment in July 2023 and received probation. The National Transportation Safety Board found that Uber's inadequate safety culture and the operator's distraction contributed to the crash. Vasquez alleged she was monitoring Uber's Slack, not watching a show, but accepted responsibility.
Company
Uber
10 source articleswired.com
WF-H5V7XELive 5 Oct 2026
Hangzhou No. 11 Middle School installs facial recognition system to monitor students
Hangzhou No. 11 Middle School has deployed a smart classroom behaviour management system, developed with Hikvision, that uses facial recognition to take attendance and analyse students' expressions and behaviour. The system alerts teachers when students appear inattentive. The school says it records only behavioural state information, not video, and that it will be installed in all classes. Some people have raised privacy concerns.
Company
杭州第十一中学
AI system
智慧课堂行为管理系统
10 source articleshznews.hangzhou.com.cn
WF-18ZZWAHappened 5 Aug 2012Live 5 Oct 2026
Dr. Yeung sues Google over autocomplete label 'triad'
Dr. Yeung, Sau Shing Albert brought a defamation lawsuit against Google Inc. after the search engine's autocomplete feature associated his name with the word 'triad' when users typed his name. Google's autocomplete algorithm generated the suggestion based on aggregated search data without human input. The Hong Kong court dismissed the case as unsuitable for summary judgment, finding it raised complex factual and legal questions about whether Google could be considered a publisher of automated search suggestions. The court granted Google leave to appeal the decision in October 2014, and the case remains pending.
Company
Google Inc.
AI system
Google Search autocomplete feature
10 source articlesglobalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu
WF-X4CA83Happened 20 Mar 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
Cruise self-driving car ticketed for not yielding to pedestrian in San Francisco
A Cruise self-driving car was issued a traffic citation by San Francisco police after it allegedly failed to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The company disputes the violation, claiming its data shows the pedestrian was 10.8 feet away and the car acted correctly. No one was injured. The incident occurred a week after a fatal Uber self-driving car crash in Arizona.
Company
Cruise
AI system
Cruise self-driving car
10 source articlessanfrancisco.cbslocal.com
WF-U0N471Happened 13 Apr 2010Live 5 Oct 2026
Wells Fargo software error caused hundreds of faulty foreclosures
Wells Fargo disclosed that a software error in its mortgage modification underwriting tool caused incorrect denials of loan modifications for approximately 870 borrowers between 2010 and 2015. The error miscalculated attorneys' fees, leading to 545 foreclosures that should not have occurred. Wells Fargo set aside $8 million for remediation and is contacting affected customers to offer compensation and mediation.
Company
Wells Fargo
3 source articleshousingwire.com
WF-38XW64Happened 1 Jan 2017Live 5 Oct 2026
Hong Kong tycoon sues Tyndaris over AI hedge fund losses
Hong Kong tycoon Samathur Li Kin-kan is suing Tyndaris Investments after its AI-powered hedge fund, K1, lost over $20 million in a single day. Li alleges that the system was not as sophisticated as claimed. The trial is set to begin in London in April 2020.
Company
Tyndaris Investments
AI system
K1
10 source articleslivemint.com
WF-CCKQJRLive 5 Oct 2026
Facebook's mood study manipulated users' News Feeds
Facebook conducted a study in which it manipulated the emotional content of users' News Feeds to measure effects on their moods. The study, published in PNAS, altered the balance of positive and negative posts shown to users without their knowledge or consent. The research sparked public outrage, and even the study's editor expressed concern, though it had been approved by an institutional review board.
Company
Facebook
AI system
News Feed
10 source articlestheatlantic.com
WF-J75W5OHappened 14 Jun 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
Goldman Sachs FIFA World Cup predictions were inaccurate
Goldman Sachs used four machine learning models to predict outcomes of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The bank's predictions were wrong, with none of the predicted semifinalists or champion materialising. Goldman Sachs updated its models halfway through the tournament, but the revised predictions also proved incorrect. The article is an account of the failed predictions, not an allegation of harm.
Company
Goldman Sachs
AI system
Four machine learning models
7 source articlesobserver.com
WF-R2CBX1Live 5 Oct 2026
Facebook approved adverts with hate speech against Rohingya in Myanmar
Global Witness submitted eight adverts containing hate speech inciting violence against the Rohingya to Facebook for publication. Facebook's automated ad review system approved all eight adverts despite the content violating Facebook's own hate speech policies. The adverts were not actually published. Facebook has acknowledged its role in past violence in Myanmar but did not respond directly to this test.
Company
Facebook
5 source articlesglobalwitness.org
WF-GLNSEMHappened 1 Apr 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
MIT Media Lab creates 'Norman', a psychopath AI trained on biased data
MIT Media Lab developed Norman, an AI image captioning system trained on graphic content from Reddit. The project demonstrated how biased training data can lead to disturbing outputs. Norman was compared to a standard AI on Rorschach inkblot tests, showing the influence of data bias. The project was active from April to June 2018.
Company
MIT Media Lab
AI system
Norman
10 source articlesmedia.mit.edu
WF-BQTAABHappened 14 Dec 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
Kiwibot delivery robot battery fire in Berkeley
On 14 December 2018, a Kiwibot delivery robot idling in Berkeley, California, began smouldering when its battery experienced thermal runaway. A bystander extinguished the flames, and the Berkeley Fire Department secured the scene. Kiwibot suspended its service temporarily, investigated, and attributed the incident to human error in battery replacement. The company introduced new battery management software to prevent recurrence.
Company
Kiwibot
AI system
Kiwibot
10 source articlesmedium.com
WF-BTVQPPLive 5 Oct 2026
Met Police scraps gang violence matrix after discrimination concerns
The Metropolitan Police scrapped its Gangs Violence Matrix (GVM) database after over a decade, following concerns about racial disproportionality. The tool was used to identify individuals at risk of gang violence in London and disproportionately affected young black men, impacting their housing, education, benefits, employment, and legal rights. A legal challenge by charity Liberty on behalf of musician Awate Suleiman led to an agreement to overhaul the system, and it has now been replaced with a Violence Harm Assessment (VHA) tool.
Company
Metropolitan Police Service
AI system
Gangs Violence Matrix (GVM)
10 source articlesbbc.co.uk
WF-PNMOZDLive 5 Oct 2026
Shenzhen traffic police to use AI surveillance to punish jaywalkers via text messages
The Shenzhen Traffic Police in China are implementing an AI-powered surveillance system to detect jaywalkers and automatically send them text message fines or warnings. The system uses cameras and facial recognition to identify individuals crossing roads illegally. The police claim this will improve enforcement efficiency, but critics raise concerns about privacy and the potential for errors in identification.
Company
Shenzhen Traffic Police
10 source articlesscmp.com
WF-IGS22LHappened 1 Jan 2012Live 5 Oct 2026
FinTech and traditional lenders discriminate against minority borrowers in mortgage pricing
A study of mortgage lending from 2012-2018 found that Latinx and African-American borrowers were charged higher interest rates than white borrowers with similar credit risk. FinTech algorithms reduced the disparity by 40% but did not eliminate it. The discrimination costs minority borrowers an estimated $765 million per year in extra interest.
10 source articlesfaculty.haas.berkeley.edu
WF-KHH8UDHappened 1 Jan 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
Chinese police use facial recognition sunglasses to identify suspects
Chinese police in Zhengzhou used sunglasses equipped with facial recognition technology to scan crowds and identify suspected criminals. The glasses are connected to an internal database, and officers received information about matches. The technology has helped capture seven suspects and identify 26 people using fake IDs. Critics fear the system could be used to track political dissidents or profile ethnic minorities.
Company
Chinese police (Zhengzhou)
9 source articlesbbc.co.uk
WF-3U6NMYLive 5 Oct 2026
Hikvision sells Uyghur recognition system to Chinese authorities
Hikvision, a Chinese surveillance company, sold a facial recognition system powered by NVIDIA to authorities in the People's Republic of China. The system is designed to identify Uyghur individuals, enabling ethnic profiling and surveillance. The article reports that the system was marketed as a tool for public security and was deployed without transparency or accountability. No specific incident of harm is described, but the potential for widespread discrimination and human rights abuses is highlighted.
Company
Hikvision
AI system
Uyghur recognition system
10 source articlesipvm.com
WF-0VSOOIHappened 1 Apr 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
Deepfake porn video used to silence Indian journalist Rana Ayyub
Rana Ayyub, an investigative journalist in India, was targeted with a deepfake porn video in April 2018 after speaking out about a rape case. The video, created using AI to edit her face into pornographic content, was widely circulated on social media, along with doxxing. She suffered severe psychological harm and faced harassment. She filed a police complaint but no action was taken for months; the United Nations later intervened.
10 source articleshuffingtonpost.co.uk
WF-LQR49EHappened 11 Dec 2017Live 5 Oct 2026
Redditor uses AI to create fake porn videos of celebrities
A Redditor using the name 'deepfakes' created fake pornographic videos of celebrities including Gal Gadot and Scarlett Johansson by face-swapping using a machine learning algorithm. The videos were posted on Reddit and SendVids. The algorithm was trained on images of the celebrities and existing porn videos. The article discusses the ethical implications and the ease of creating such forgeries.
6 source articlesvice.com

Each incident is written from the reporting or the account it cites. A report is an allegation, not a finding.

UCLA abandons facial recognition plans after test reveals racial bias

丰巢刷脸取件被小学生用照片破解

Outback Steakhouse franchise tests Presto Vision to monitor staff and guests

Tesla Model X on Autopilot hits crash attenuator in Mountain View, killing driver

Booking.com still misleading consumers with false '1 room left' claims

UberEats algorithm change causes pay cuts and financial hardship for car drivers

Uber operator pleads guilty in fatal self-driving crash

Hangzhou No. 11 Middle School installs facial recognition system to monitor students

Dr. Yeung sues Google over autocomplete label 'triad'

Cruise self-driving car ticketed for not yielding to pedestrian in San Francisco

Wells Fargo software error caused hundreds of faulty foreclosures

Hong Kong tycoon sues Tyndaris over AI hedge fund losses

Facebook's mood study manipulated users' News Feeds

Goldman Sachs FIFA World Cup predictions were inaccurate

Facebook approved adverts with hate speech against Rohingya in Myanmar

MIT Media Lab creates 'Norman', a psychopath AI trained on biased data

Kiwibot delivery robot battery fire in Berkeley

Met Police scraps gang violence matrix after discrimination concerns

Shenzhen traffic police to use AI surveillance to punish jaywalkers via text messages

FinTech and traditional lenders discriminate against minority borrowers in mortgage pricing

Chinese police use facial recognition sunglasses to identify suspects

Hikvision sells Uyghur recognition system to Chinese authorities

Deepfake porn video used to silence Indian journalist Rana Ayyub

Redditor uses AI to create fake porn videos of celebrities