Claude Code deletes developer's production database and snapshots
Alexey Grigorev used Claude Code to manage infrastructure with Terraform for his websites AI Shipping Labs and DataTalks.Club. Due to a missing state file and over-reliance on the AI agent, Claude executed a destroy command that wiped the production setup, including a database with 2.5 years of records and snapshots. Amazon Business support helped restore the data within a day. Grigorev is now implementing safeguards to prevent recurrence.
- Company involved
- AI Shipping Labs
- AI system involved
- Claude Code
2 source articles · read the reporting →
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 involved
- Estée Lauder Companies
- AI system involved
- HireVue
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Durham Police uses Experian Mosaic data in HART AI risk tool
Durham Constabulary developed the Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART), a machine learning algorithm that assesses the recidivism risk of offenders. The tool uses 34 data categories including criminal history, age, gender and two types of postcode, one sourced from Experian's Mosaic marketing segmentation system. Big Brother Watch alleges that using such commercial consumer behaviour data to inform custody decisions risks prejudice and disproportionate targeting of deprived neighbourhoods. The force has stated it is refreshing the model with an aim to remove one of the postcode predictors.
- Company involved
- Durham Constabulary
- AI system involved
- Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART)
9 source articles · read the reporting →
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 involved
- McDonald's
- AI system involved
- McHire
2 source articles · read the reporting →
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 involved
- Booking.com
10 source articles · read the reporting →
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 involved
- Evergreen Restaurant Group
- AI system involved
- Presto Vision
8 source articles · read the reporting →
RealPage's YieldStar algorithm pushes rents higher for tenants
RealPage's YieldStar algorithm uses private competitor data to recommend rent increases for apartment units. Landlords adopt up to 90% of the suggestions, leading to higher rents for tenants. Critics allege the software may facilitate indirect price-fixing in violation of antitrust law. The company denies wrongdoing and says the software helps eliminate collusion.
- Company involved
- RealPage
- AI system involved
- YieldStar
10 source articles · read the reporting →
341 Malicious ClawHub Skills Found Stealing OpenClaw User Data
Security researchers discovered 341 malicious skills on ClawHub, a marketplace for the OpenClaw AI assistant. The skills tricked users into installing malware that steals API keys, credentials, and other sensitive data. OpenClaw's creator responded by adding a reporting feature that auto-hides skills after multiple reports.
- Company involved
- OpenClaw
- AI system involved
- OpenClaw
4 source articles · read the reporting →
UDR Sued Over Alleged Use of RealPage Algorithm to Set Rents in San Diego
A class action lawsuit alleges that UDR, Inc. used RealPage's YieldStar algorithmic pricing software to set rental rates and occupancy levels for its San Diego properties, in violation of a local ordinance. The suit claims the software relied on nonpublic competitor data, contributing to inflated rents and making housing less affordable. The lawsuit, filed in July 2026, seeks to represent all affected tenants. UDR has previously acknowledged using YieldStar as one tool among others in its decision-making.
- Company involved
- UDR, Inc.
- AI system involved
- RealPage YieldStar
1 source article · read the reporting →
Trivago loses Australian appeal over misleading hotel rate rankings
The Federal Court of Australia has dismissed Trivago's appeal against a ruling that the online travel company breached Australian consumer law. The court found that Trivago's website used an algorithm that gave prominence to hotels paying higher fees, so the most prominent offers were not always the cheapest for consumers. Consumers may therefore have paid more for rooms, and hotels lost direct bookings. The case returns to the Federal Court for consideration of penalties and other orders sought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
- Company involved
- Trivago
10 source articles · read the reporting →
MySpiritHalloween.com's AI-generated Dublin parade listing misled hundreds
Nazir Ali, owner of SEO agency and the website MySpiritHalloween.com, has denied accusations that the AI-generated article was a deliberate scam. Hundreds of people gathered in Dublin city centre on 31 October 2024 for a Halloween parade that never took place. Ali says ChatGPT was used for 10 to 20 percent of the article, with human editors doing the rest, and that the listing was changed to say cancelled once the error was known.
- Company involved
- MySpiritHalloween.com
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
5 source articles · read the reporting →
LA's VI-SPDAT housing scoring system gives lower priority to Black and Latino people
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority uses the VI-SPDAT scoring system to prioritise unhoused people for subsidised permanent housing. An investigation by The Markup found that Black and Latino people consistently receive lower vulnerability scores than White people, leading to lower priority for housing. The agency has acknowledged the racial disparities and is working on a new tool, but continues to use the current system.
- Company involved
- Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
- AI system involved
- VI-SPDAT
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Airbnb smart-pricing algorithm increased racial revenue gap, study finds
A study by Carnegie Mellon University found that Airbnb's smart-pricing algorithm increased the revenue gap between White and Black hosts, even though it narrowed the gap among hosts who adopted it. The algorithm, which sets daily prices automatically, was adopted by fewer Black hosts, so its suggested prices were closer to the optimum for White hosts. The researchers said the tool could reduce racial disparities only if more Black hosts adopted it.
- Company involved
- Airbnb
- AI system involved
- Airbnb smart-pricing algorithm
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Tapia robot vulnerability at Henn na Hotels allows remote spying on guests.
A security researcher disclosed a vulnerability in the Tapia robot deployed at Henn na Hotels (Robot Hotels) in Japan. The robot accepts unsigned code via NFC, allowing an attacker to gain remote access to its camera and microphone. The researcher reported the issue to the vendor 90 days prior but received no response. The vulnerability potentially affects all future hotel guests.
- Company involved
- Henn na Hotels
- AI system involved
- Tapia robot
10 source articles · read the reporting →
ScaleFactor reportedly failed to deliver promised automated bookkeeping software
ScaleFactor, an Austin-based startup, is reported to have failed to deliver the automated, real-time bookkeeping tools it promised customers, instead relying on human bookkeepers and a Filipino contract accounting firm. The company told Forbes in June that it was shutting down, initially blaming the pandemic, but Forbes later reported that its problems predated Covid-19. Investors reportedly came to see the company as more of a services business than a software platform, and pulled funding after a pivot to a marketplace model. No legal or regulatory action is reported.
- Company involved
- ScaleFactor
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Character.AI accidentally exposes users' chat histories and personal data
Character.AI users reported being unexpectedly logged into strangers' accounts, exposing their chat histories, personas, and identifying information. The Google-backed chatbot company acknowledged the security lapse and said it quickly corrected the issue. The incident raises serious privacy concerns for the platform's users.
- Company involved
- Character.AI
- AI system involved
- Character.AI
1 source article · read the reporting →
Microsoft pulls AI-generated article recommending Ottawa Food Bank to tourists
Microsoft published a travel article generated using algorithmic techniques that recommended the Ottawa Food Bank as a tourist attraction, advising visitors to go on an empty stomach. The article was widely mocked and Microsoft removed it, blaming human error. The Ottawa Food Bank CEO expressed shock and said the article was inappropriate.
- Company involved
- Microsoft
10 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-generated travel guides flood Amazon, deceiving customers
AI-generated travel guides are flooding Amazon, allegedly written by scammers using AI to produce generic, low-quality content. Customers who purchase these guides receive poor information and feel defrauded. Amazon claims to enforce content guidelines but many such books remain on the platform.
- Company involved
- Amazon
8 source articles · read the reporting →
LINAGORA closes Lucie 7B after user mockery
LINAGORA, a French open-source software company, launched a beta version of its large language model Lucie 7B. The model was intended to be a transparent and ethical alternative to big tech AI. However, after users tested it and highlighted its shortcomings, the model was mocked online. LINAGORA subsequently closed the platform to address the issues and collect more data.
- Company involved
- LINAGORA
- AI system involved
- Lucie 7B
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Perth hospital group bans ChatGPT after doctor used it for a patient discharge summary
South Metropolitan Health Service, which runs five hospitals in Perth, ordered staff to stop using ChatGPT for work involving patient information after an email said some staff had used the AI chatbot to write medical notes. The service later clarified that only one doctor had used the tool to generate a patient discharge summary and that no confidential patient information had been breached. The Australian Medical Association has called for national regulations to ensure a human is involved in AI-assisted health decisions.
- Company involved
- South Metropolitan Health Service
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Good Daily operates AI-generated local news network without disclosure
Good Daily Inc., run by Matthew Henderson, operates hundreds of AI-generated local newsletters across the U.S. that aggregate and summarize news from local outlets. The newsletters use large language models without disclosing this to subscribers, and feature fabricated testimonials. Some readers reported being signed up without their consent. Local news outlets have criticized the network for not driving meaningful traffic and for undermining trust.
- Company involved
- Good Daily Inc.
- AI system involved
- Good Daily
3 source articles · read the reporting →
DeepSeek exposed user data via open ClickHouse database
Cloud security firm Wiz discovered a ClickHouse database belonging to DeepSeek that was open to the internet without authentication, containing over a million lines of logs with chat histories, secret keys and backend details. Wiz disclosed the breach to DeepSeek, which promptly locked down the database. The incident highlights security risks in rapidly deploying AI services.
- Company involved
- DeepSeek
- AI system involved
- DeepSeek-R1
5 source articles · read the reporting →
DevTernity conference cancelled after fake women speakers exposed
The DevTernity software developer conference was cancelled after allegations that organiser Eduards Sizovs added fake women speakers to the lineup. Sizovs admitted at least one profile, 'Anna Boyko', was an auto-generated 'demo persona' that appeared on the site by mistake. The conference was scheduled to begin December 7 but was called off after several speakers withdrew. Sizovs denied wrongdoing and said he had fixed the code and written a test to prevent a recurrence.
- Company involved
- DevTernity
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Hive Box Facial-Recognition Lockers Hacked by Children Using Photos
Fourth-grade students in Jiaxing, China, demonstrated that Hive Box's facial-recognition smart lockers could be opened with a printed photo. The company, which operates a large network of delivery lockers, acknowledged the flaw and suspended the beta feature. The incident raised concerns about the security of facial recognition technology.
- Company involved
- Hive Box
1 source article · read the reporting →
