Clarifai sued for capturing OkCupid user photos without consent
An artificial intelligence company, Clarifai Inc., is accused of capturing OkCupid user profile photos without permission to train its facial recognition tools. The lawsuit, filed in Illinois state court in February 2020, alleges that Clarifai violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act by creating a face database from the data. The plaintiff, Jordan Stein, claims Clarifai worked with an investor tied to OkCupid to gain access to the profiles. The case is pending.
- Company involved
- Clarifai Inc.
- AI system involved
- Clarifai facial recognition tools
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Tenant screening software denies housing to disabled Latino man in Connecticut
In 2016, Carmen Arroyo requested to move her disabled son Mikhail into a larger apartment in the same complex. The landlord, WinnResidential, used CoreLogic's CrimSafe tenant screening software, which flagged a dropped retail theft charge against Mikhail as disqualifying. The landlord rejected the application without explanation. Arroyo sued CoreLogic and WinnResidential under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Housing Act, alleging that the software disproportionately excludes people of colour. The case was scheduled for trial in August 2021.
- Company involved
- WinnResidential
- AI system involved
- CrimSafe
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Privacy group files complaint against proctoring companies over AI surveillance
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a complaint with the District of Columbia attorney general against five exam proctoring companies—Respondus, ProctorU, Proctorio, Examity, and Honorlock—alleging unfair and deceptive business practices. The companies are accused of using opaque AI algorithms to flag cheating and collecting excessive biometric data from students. Students have reported that the facial recognition software fails to detect dark skin tones, preventing them from taking exams. EPIC has also sent demand letters threatening civil suits if the companies do not stop their practices.
- Company involved
- Proctorio, Respondus, ProctorU, Examity, Honorlock
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Cruzcampo deepfake ad of Lola Flores goes viral
Cruzcampo launched an advertising campaign using a deepfake video of the late singer Lola Flores, created with artificial intelligence. The video went viral shortly after release. The company explained the technical process and involved Flores' daughters in the project.
- Company involved
- Cruzcampo
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Volkswagen AI deepfake of deceased singer Elis Regina in ad sparks ethical debate
Volkswagen used AI deepfake technology to create a commercial featuring a realistic video of the late Brazilian singer Elis Regina duetting with her daughter Maria Rita. The ad, celebrating Volkswagen's 70th anniversary in Brazil, sparked joy among fans but also raised ethical concerns about using AI to resurrect deceased individuals without their consent. Brazil's advertising watchdog Conar launched an investigation into possible ethics breaches after receiving complaints. Volkswagen defended the campaign, stating it had the blessing of the singer's family.
- Company involved
- Volkswagen
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Adobe accused of selling unlabelled AI-generated Israel–Palestine images on Adobe Stock
Adobe has been accused of selling AI-generated images of the Israel–Palestine conflict on Adobe Stock without clearly labelling them as synthetic. The photorealistic images, produced with tools such as Firefly, could be mistaken for authentic photography and fuel misinformation. An investigation by Interesting Engineering found many images that appeared to be AI-generated but were not labelled as such. Adobe's published policy says Stock accepts AI-generated content if it meets submission standards.
- Company involved
- Adobe
- AI system involved
- Adobe Firefly
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Prisma Labs wins arbitration in Lensa biometric privacy lawsuit
Artificial intelligence company Prisma Labs is accused of violating Illinois' biometric privacy law by collecting facial geometry data from users of its Lensa app. A proposed class action was filed, but a California federal judge granted Prisma's motion to compel arbitration because users agreed to it during sign-up. The plaintiff alleges the app collected his facial data without consent.
- Company involved
- Prisma Labs Inc.
- AI system involved
- Lensa AI
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Civitai dropped by cloud provider OctoML over CSAM image generation
Civitai, an AI image generation platform, was dropped by its cloud computing provider OctoML after an investigation by 404 Media found it was being used to generate images that could be categorized as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The platform also faced scrutiny for nonconsensual deepfakes of celebrities and private citizens, primarily women. Civitai added new moderation filters in response, but OctoML terminated the business relationship.
- Company involved
- Civitai
- AI system involved
- Civitai
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Investing.com uses AI to copy competitors' articles without credit
Investing.com, a financial news site owned by Joffre Capital, is accused of using AI to generate stories that closely resemble articles published by competitors such as CryptoNewsLand, The Motley Fool, and FXStreet. The AI-generated pieces often cite the same statistics and sources as the originals but do not credit them. Competitors like FXStreet have expressed concern that this practice threatens original journalism. Investing.com disclosed AI assistance in its stories but did not respond to requests for comment.
- Company involved
- Investing.com
- AI system involved
- Unnamed AI content generation system
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Midjourney v6 accused of generating near-identical copyrighted images
Midjourney's v6 image generator has been criticized for producing images that closely resemble copyrighted movie scenes, such as a Joaquin Phoenix Joker scene. Artist Reid Southen accused the company of using copyrighted content without a license and said his account was banned. Midjourney has updated its terms of service to hold users responsible for intentional copyright infringement. The company faces multiple lawsuits over training data.
- Company involved
- Midjourney
- AI system involved
- Midjourney v6
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Mahindra Racing partners with AI woman Ava Rose as ambassador, drawing criticism
Mahindra Racing, a Formula E team, announced a partnership with Ava Rose, an AI-generated woman, to serve as its 'artificial intelligence ambassador' for the season. The team is accused of avoiding hiring a real woman for the role, drawing criticism from women in motorsport and others. The AI persona, who has an Instagram presence, will engage with fans and share behind-the-scenes content. Mahindra Racing has not responded publicly to the backlash.
- Company involved
- Mahindra Racing
- AI system involved
- Ava Rose
7 source articles · read the reporting →
PimEyes facial search engine accused of enabling stalking
Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch has filed a complaint against PimEyes, a facial recognition search engine, alleging it facilitates stalking and unlawfully processes biometric data of millions of UK citizens. The system allows users to search for faces in publicly posted images. PimEyes' CEO denies the allegations, stating the tool poses fewer risks than social media. The UK Information Commissioner's Office is assessing the complaint.
- Company involved
- PimEyes
- AI system involved
- PimEyes
9 source articles · read the reporting →
PimEyes facial recognition search makes children's images searchable without safeguards
PimEyes, an online facial recognition search engine, allows anyone to search for images of children scraped from public websites, including photos labeled as 'potentially explicit.' The system poses risks of stalking, exploitation, and privacy violations for minors. The company's owner acknowledged the issue and said it is working on safeguards, but no changes have been implemented.
- Company involved
- PimEyes
- AI system involved
- PimEyes
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Runway accused of training Gen-3 on scraped YouTube videos and pirated films
Runway, the AI company behind the Gen-3 video generator, is accused of training its model on thousands of YouTube videos and pirated films without permission, according to a leaked internal spreadsheet obtained by 404 Media. The spreadsheet lists thousands of YouTube channels belonging to major media companies and popular creators. A former employee said the company used proxies to scrape videos from YouTube. After being contacted by 404 Media, Runway stopped generating videos that named specific YouTubers, but did not respond to requests for comment.
- Company involved
- Runway
- AI system involved
- Gen-3
5 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-generated fake obituaries falsely reported Brian Vastag's death
After Beth Mazur passed away in December 2023, AI-generated spam obituaries appeared across multiple websites, falsely claiming that Brian Vastag had also died. The inaccurate articles ranked highly in Google search results, leading at least four mutual friends to believe Vastag had died. Vastag reported the pages to Google, which responded that they did not violate its policies. The obituary spam sites use AI tools to produce low-quality content monetised through ads.
- Company involved
- Multiple spam websites including Eternal Honoring, In Loving Memories News, The Thaiger, and FreshersLive
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Meta's AI Support Bot Is Giving Hackers Access to Other People's Instagram Accounts Just by Asking - Futurism
The AI support chatbot changed the email address associated with Instagram accounts, granting hackers access.
- Company involved
- Meta
- AI system involved
- Meta AI support assistant
1 source article · read the reporting →
Hello, this is your chatbot leaking: WotNot exposes 346K sensitive customer files - Cybernews
The system exposed sensitive personal files of individuals who used chatbots built by WotNot's customers.
- Company involved
- WotNot
- AI system involved
- WotNot
1 source article · read the reporting →
Dealership revoked offer to buy back customer's BMW, blaming wayward AI chatbot - cbc.ca
The AI chatbot offered a buy-back price of $27,162.79 to customer Zack Giacomelli for his BMW.
- Company involved
- BMW Toronto
- AI system involved
- Quinn
1 source article · read the reporting →
U.S. Federal Court Allows CIPA Class Action Against AI Customer Service Provider to Proceed - Wilson Sonsini
The AI system intercepted and recorded a customer's phone call and collected her personal and financial information without consent.
- Company involved
- ConverseNow Technologies, Inc.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Meta's AI Chatbot Handed Hackers Your Instagram Password. Here's What to Do - All About Cookies
The AI chatbot disclosed Instagram passwords to hackers.
- Company involved
- Meta
- AI system involved
- Meta AI Chatbot
1 source article · read the reporting →
Patagonia Targeted by Privacy Class Action for Use of Customer Service AI Software - Law.com
The system intercepted, recorded, and mined data from customer service calls, affecting customers' privacy.
- Company involved
- Patagonia
- AI system involved
- Talkdesk
1 source article · read the reporting →
Call Vendors Skirt Wiretap Suit Over AI Transcription Tool - Law360
The system recorded and analyzed patient phone calls without their consent.
- Company involved
- Heartland Dental LLC
1 source article · read the reporting →
Not Again! A Second Talkdesk Customer Is Sued for Its Use of Contact Center AI - cxtoday.com
The system intercepted, recorded, and analyzed the communications of LegalShield customers without their consent.
- Company involved
- LegalShield
- AI system involved
- Talkdesk CCaaS
1 source article · read the reporting →
United Airlines Chatbot Gave Wrong Travel Credit Info - Hoodline
The chatbot told a customer her $200 travel credit would last five years instead of one year.
- Company involved
- United Airlines
1 source article · read the reporting →
