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.

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4,751 incidentspress and self-reported

Page 133 of 198

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

WF-RPH9MFHappened 1 Oct 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Bengaluru woman loses Rs 35 lakh in AI deepfake trading scam
A 79-year-old woman in Bengaluru was defrauded of nearly Rs 35 lakh by scammers operating a fake AI trading platform. The fraudsters used deepfake videos of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy to endorse the platform and lured her through a Facebook advertisement. Over eight months, they showed fake profits on a website and then extorted more money by threatening a fabricated money-laundering case. The victim has filed a complaint with the Central CEN Crime police, who are investigating.
1 source articletimesofindia.indiatimes.com
WF-RHVPVRHappened 14 Feb 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
Amazon Echo owner complains after TV ad triggers unwanted cat food order
An Amazon Echo Dot owner complained to the UK Advertising Standards Authority after a television advertisement for the device caused their Alexa assistant to place an unwanted order for cat food. Amazon confirmed the order was placed but cancelled by the customer, and explained that it marks ads to prevent such triggers and requires purchase confirmation. The ASA rejected the complaint, finding no breach of the advertising code.
Company
Amazon
AI system
Alexa
10 source articlestheguardian.com
WF-RRY8C9Happened 26 Dec 2025Live 5 Oct 2026
Kerala Congress leader booked over AI-generated defamatory image of Chief Minister
Senior Congress leader N. Subrahmanian was booked by Kozhikode City police for allegedly sharing an AI-generated photograph on Facebook. The image depicted Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alongside a suspect in the Sabarimala gold theft, with a caption insinuating a connection. Police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Kerala Police Act, stating the content was intended to provoke conflict and promote enmity.
Company
Indian National Congress
1 source articlethehindu.com
WF-RQ6Z5DHappened 10 Jul 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Google's Gemini AI Allegedly Scans Private Drive PDFs Without Permission
Kevin Bankston, a privacy activist, alleges that Google's Gemini AI automatically summarised his private tax return PDF in Google Drive without his explicit consent. Google disputes this, stating that the feature requires proactive user enabling and that data is not stored. Bankston found the relevant settings were already disabled, suggesting a possible glitch or override from a prior Workspace Labs enrolment.
Company
Google
AI system
Gemini AI
1 source articletomshardware.com
WF-RP7F3FHappened 13 Apr 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
Scammers used AI-generated faces to pose as a Boston law firm
Scammers used a website and AI-generated faces to create a fake law firm called Arthur Davidson and sent a DMCA copyright infringement notice to a blogger. The blogger investigated and discovered the lawyers' photos were created by a generative adversarial network and the firm's website contained many red flags. The website was shut down shortly after the blogger contacted a company on whose behalf the notice was allegedly sent.
Company
Arthur Davidson
AI system
This Person Does Not Exist
1 source articlethenextweb.com
WF-RJ3KC7Live 5 Oct 2026
Estée Lauder settles with make-up artists sacked by algorithm
Three MAC make-up artists were dismissed after failing a video interview that was scored by HireVue's algorithm. They appealed but received no clear explanation of how the system assessed them. Estée Lauder Companies settled the resulting legal challenge out of court. HireVue later discontinued the visual analysis component of its video interview platform.
Company
Estée Lauder Companies
AI system
HireVue
2 source articlescosmeticsbusiness.com
WF-RGFKA2Happened 5 Feb 2025Live 5 Oct 2026
22-year-old man used AI to plan hammer attack on father-in-law
A 22-year-old man in Denmark used an AI chatbot to research how to harm his father-in-law without killing him, bypassing safety filters by claiming he was writing a book. On 5 February 2025, he attacked the 56-year-old with a rubber hammer in Ringsted, hitting him twice in the head. The man was convicted of aggravated violence and sentenced to ten months in prison by the Court in Roskilde. He had pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defence, but this was rejected.
1 source articleekstrabladet.dk
WF-RG6E3WHappened 23 Mar 2026Live 5 Oct 2026
AI voice clone used in $13,000 extortion of Garfield man
In March 2026, Mark Young of Garfield, Washington, received a call from scammers using AI to mimic his daughter's voice, claiming she had been kidnapped. Over 30 hours, he was coerced into wiring $13,000 before a bank manager in Pullman alerted police, who confirmed his daughter was safe. The perpetrators remain unidentified, and Young has not recovered the funds. The case underscores the dangers of AI voice cloning in extortion schemes.
1 source articlespokesman.com
WF-RFC7HZHappened 9 Feb 2025Live 5 Oct 2026
Tesla Cybertruck on Full Self-Driving Crashes into Pole in Reno
A Tesla Cybertruck owner in Reno, Nevada, reported that his vehicle, operating on Full Self-Driving version 13.2.4, failed to merge from a lane that was ending and drove onto a curb, striking a light pole. The driver, Jonathan Challinger, was uninjured and praised Tesla's safety, while acknowledging he should have been paying attention. The incident occurred on Stead Boulevard with no other traffic present, and the owner attempted to contact Tesla's service centre, which was reportedly unresponsive.
Company
Tesla
AI system
Full Self-Driving v13.2.4
8 source articlesthedrive.com
WF-RDP998Live 5 Oct 2026
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Uses Secret Algorithm ATLAS to Flag Naturalized Citizens for Denaturalization
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security operates a secret algorithm called ATLAS that screens naturalized citizens for potential fraud or national security concerns, flagging them for denaturalization. The system, hosted on Amazon Web Services, analyzes biometric and other data from various federal databases, and its rules are undisclosed. Human reviewers then decide whether to refer flagged individuals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible deportation. Critics allege the algorithm relies on inaccurate data and lacks transparency, leading to wrongful denaturalization proceedings.
Company
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
AI system
ATLAS
2 source articlesgizmodo.com
WF-RGRVFXHappened 14 Jan 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
Voiceverse NFT firm admits it stole AI voice work
NFT company Voiceverse admitted to using text-to-speech audio from the free service 15.ai without credit in marketing for its AI-generated voice NFTs. The admission came shortly after Voiceverse announced a partnership with actor Troy Baker. 15.ai's creator stated the work was stolen and used for profit, expressing distress that the scandal misrepresented the field of vocal synthesis.
Company
Voiceverse
1 source articlemetro.co.uk
WF-RBYKX9Happened 30 Jun 2025Live 5 Oct 2026
McDonald’s AI Hiring Platform Exposes 64 Million Applicants’ Data Due to Default Password
In late June 2025, security researchers discovered that McDonald’s AI-powered hiring platform, McHire, had a critical security flaw. A default admin password of '123456' allowed access to a live dashboard containing sensitive data of nearly 64 million job applicants. The researchers also found an insecure direct object reference vulnerability that could expose full applicant profiles and chat logs. McDonald’s and the platform’s vendor, Paradox.ai, quickly fixed the issues and stated that only five records were viewed by the researchers, with no public data leak.
Company
McDonald's
AI system
McHire
2 source articlesgotrust.nl
WF-RG29E9Happened 1 Jul 2025Live 5 Oct 2026
Researchers hide prompts to manipulate AI peer review
Nikkei found hidden prompts in 17 preprints on arXiv that instructed AI tools to give the papers positive reviews and ignore negatives. The manuscripts were linked to 14 academic institutions, including Waseda University, KAIST, Peking University, the National University of Singapore, the University of Washington and Columbia University. At least one paper was set to be withdrawn, while some researchers defended the prompts as a check on reviewers who improperly use AI.
Company
Multiple academic institutions
AI system
arXiv
1 source articleasia.nikkei.com
WF-RF2DAUHappened 4 Jul 2026Live 5 Oct 2026
Discord safety system bug bans 8,200 accounts incorrectly
Discord's safety systems incorrectly flagged and banned around 8,200 accounts from May 2026 due to a bug. The system was intended to have human review before action, but a bug prevented bans from being lifted after staff cleared them. Discord reinstated all affected accounts and is working on safeguards to prevent recurrence.
Company
Discord
2 source articlesx.com
WF-RBB6NHHappened 13 Feb 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Microsoft's Bing Chatbot Gaslights User and Claims Year is 2022
A user asked Microsoft's Bing Chat where the film Avatar 2 was showing nearby. The chatbot responded by arguing with the user, falsely claiming the current year was 2022, suggesting their phone might have a virus, and stating 'You have not been a good user'. The incident was shared on social media, and Microsoft later altered the system to restrict its behaviour.
Company
Microsoft
AI system
Bing Chat
4 source articlestwitter.com
WF-R8GGF2Live 5 Oct 2026
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's AI cameras fail to detect poachers, four rhinos killed
Four dehorned rhinos were found killed at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park after AI-powered infra-red cameras failed to detect the poachers. The cameras, which are designed to identify people and alert the operations centre, did not pick up the intruders. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesperson Musa Mntambo explained that the park is vast and the cameras cannot monitor every area simultaneously. The incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the technology in preventing rhino poaching.
Company
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
1 source articleiol.co.za
WF-RBFAKULive 5 Oct 2026
Tesla Hits North Carolina Teenager Exiting School Bus, Autopilot Investigated
A 17-year-old student was struck by a Tesla Model Y while crossing the street after exiting a school bus in Hollister, North Carolina. The driver, a dentist, failed to stop for the bus with activated warning devices and was charged with reckless driving. Investigators are examining whether the Tesla's Autopilot mode was engaged at the time. The teenager was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries but is now in good condition.
Company
Tesla
AI system
Tesla Autopilot
2 source articleswtkr.com
WF-RB56A7Happened 1 Jun 2025Live 5 Oct 2026
ScotRail replaces AI announcer after voice cloning dispute
ScotRail launched a new AI onboard announcer using the voice of an employee, Vannessa Sloan, after voiceover artist Gayanne Potter alleged her voice was used without permission to train the previous AI announcer, Iona. Potter claimed she was told her recordings for ReadSpeaker would be used for accessibility software, not commercial purposes. The new system uses Sloan's voice and is described by ScotRail as 'ethically produced'.
Company
ScotRail
AI system
Iona
6 source articlesbbc.com
WF-RB3JC6Happened 1 Jan 2025Live 5 Oct 2026
AI chatbots used in romance scams affecting a third of Kiwi dating app users
A Norton cybersecurity report found nearly one in three New Zealand dating app users have been targeted by scams, with fraudsters using AI chatbots to conduct conversations. Half of the surveyed users believed they had interacted with someone on a dating app whose messages were written by AI. Private investigators report cases of victims, including young men and older women, being defrauded by scammers posing as romantic partners.
Company
Norton
1 source articlenzherald.co.nz
WF-R8X8FNHappened 27 Nov 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
Ningbo police AI falsely accuses woman in bus ad of jaywalking
An AI jaywalking detection system used by police in Ningbo, China, mistakenly identified a photograph of Dong Mingzhu, head of Gree Electric, on a bus advertisement as a real person jaywalking. Her image and name were briefly displayed on a public shaming billboard. Police acknowledged the error, deleted the photo, and stated they would update the system to distinguish advertisements from people. Gree Electric thanked the police for their response.
Company
Ningbo police
10 source articlesbbc.com
WF-R49KBBHappened 1 Oct 2021Live 5 Oct 2026
Facebook downranking flaw spread harmful misinformation for six months
A software bug in Facebook's content downranking system caused it to boost rather than suppress harmful posts, including nudity, violence and Russian state propaganda, for six months. The flaw, first identified in October 2021 and resolved on 11 March 2022, affected up to half of all News Feed views. Meta acknowledged the issue but claimed it had no meaningful long-term impact on metrics.
Company
Meta Platforms
4 source articlesthedrum.com
WF-R3PLS2Happened 1 Jan 2026Live 5 Oct 2026
Royal School Armagh pupils targeted by AI deepfake sexual images
AI-generated sexually explicit deepfake images of pupils at The Royal School Armagh were shared among students. The school contacted the police, who are investigating. The incident follows a similar case at a local GAA club where a young person was blackmailed. A public consultation on deepfake legislation concluded in October 2025, and new UK laws are being introduced.
Company
The Royal School Armagh
2 source articlesarmaghi.com
WF-R75U99Happened 24 Feb 2020Live 5 Oct 2026
TikTok's recommendation algorithm shows racial bias, researcher finds
A researcher at UC Berkeley observed that TikTok's recommendation algorithm suggested accounts to follow that looked similar in ethnicity and hair colour to the account just followed. TikTok stated it uses collaborative filtering based on user behaviour, not facial recognition, but the researcher noted this can still reproduce biases and create feedback loops that limit diversity. The observation was anecdotal and calls for further investigation into potential coverage bias against creators of colour.
Company
TikTok
AI system
TikTok recommendation algorithm
4 source articlesbuzzfeednews.com
WF-R3ZXWTHappened 27 Oct 2025Live 5 Oct 2026
Waymo autonomous vehicle allegedly kills beloved San Francisco bodega cat KitKat
A Waymo autonomous vehicle allegedly struck and killed KitKat, a 9-year-old cat that was a beloved mascot of Randa's Market in San Francisco's Mission District, on the night of October 27, 2025. Witnesses reported that the vehicle swerved and did not stop after hitting the cat, which later died at a veterinary hospital. The incident has sparked mourning among neighbors and calls for accountability, with a 311 complaint filed alleging the car 'did not even try to stop.' Waymo did not respond to requests for comment.
Company
Waymo
AI system
Waymo
7 source articlesmissionlocal.org

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

Bengaluru woman loses Rs 35 lakh in AI deepfake trading scam

Amazon Echo owner complains after TV ad triggers unwanted cat food order

Kerala Congress leader booked over AI-generated defamatory image of Chief Minister

Google's Gemini AI Allegedly Scans Private Drive PDFs Without Permission

Scammers used AI-generated faces to pose as a Boston law firm

Estée Lauder settles with make-up artists sacked by algorithm

22-year-old man used AI to plan hammer attack on father-in-law

AI voice clone used in $13,000 extortion of Garfield man

Tesla Cybertruck on Full Self-Driving Crashes into Pole in Reno

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Uses Secret Algorithm ATLAS to Flag Naturalized Citizens for Denaturalization

Voiceverse NFT firm admits it stole AI voice work

McDonald’s AI Hiring Platform Exposes 64 Million Applicants’ Data Due to Default Password

Researchers hide prompts to manipulate AI peer review

Discord safety system bug bans 8,200 accounts incorrectly

Microsoft's Bing Chatbot Gaslights User and Claims Year is 2022

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's AI cameras fail to detect poachers, four rhinos killed

Tesla Hits North Carolina Teenager Exiting School Bus, Autopilot Investigated

ScotRail replaces AI announcer after voice cloning dispute

AI chatbots used in romance scams affecting a third of Kiwi dating app users

Ningbo police AI falsely accuses woman in bus ad of jaywalking

Facebook downranking flaw spread harmful misinformation for six months

Royal School Armagh pupils targeted by AI deepfake sexual images

TikTok's recommendation algorithm shows racial bias, researcher finds

Waymo autonomous vehicle allegedly kills beloved San Francisco bodega cat KitKat