Royal Free London publishes audit into Streams app data processing
The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust published an audit into its use of the Streams app, following an investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in July 2017. The Streams app alerts clinicians to patients at risk of acute kidney injury. The audit, conducted by Linklaters, concluded that the trust's use of Streams was lawful and complied with data protection laws, although areas for improvement were identified. The ICO later recognised that the trust had completed all required actions.
- Company involved
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
- AI system involved
- Streams
10 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 →
Black teen barred from Livonia skating rink after facial recognition misidentification
Lamya Robinson, a Black teenager, was denied entry to Riverside Arena skating rink in Livonia, Michigan, after the venue's facial recognition system misidentified her as someone banned for a previous brawl. Staff told her she matched a banned individual with 97% confidence, but she had never been to the rink before. Her family is considering legal action, alleging racial profiling, while the rink apologised if a mistake was made and said it would investigate.
- Company involved
- Riverside Arena
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Predictim AI babysitter screening raises accuracy and bias concerns
Jessie Battaglia used Predictim, an online service that claims to use AI to assess babysitters' risk of drug abuse, bullying, or bad attitude. The service analyzes social media profiles and other online data. Experts have raised concerns about the accuracy and potential bias of the AI assessments. Predictim's CEO defended the service, saying it provides additional information for parents.
- Company involved
- Predictim
- AI system involved
- Predictim
10 source articles · read the reporting →
CFPB fines General Information Services for inaccurate background checks
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau took action against General Information Services and its affiliate e-Background-checks.com for failing to ensure the accuracy of employment background screening reports. The companies allegedly provided inaccurate criminal history information to employers, potentially affecting job applicants' eligibility and causing reputational harm. The CFPB ordered the companies to provide $10.5 million in relief to harmed consumers and pay a $2.5 million penalty.
- Company involved
- General Information Services
10 source articles · read the reporting →
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 articles · read the reporting →
Brooklyn landlord abandons facial recognition plan after tenant protests
Robert Nelson, president of Nelson Management Group, planned to install a facial recognition system at Atlantic Plaza Towers, a rent-stabilized building in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Tenants protested, citing privacy concerns and studies showing the technology disproportionately impacts people of color. After a town hall meeting, Nelson announced he was withdrawing the application with the state housing agency. The reversal was seen as a victory by tenants, who continue to push for legislation banning facial recognition in residential buildings.
- Company involved
- Nelson Management Group
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Study finds Uber and Lyft drivers discriminate against passengers by race and gender
An NBER working paper reports on nearly 1,500 ride-hailing trips conducted in Seattle and Boston. It found that African American passengers were subject to longer waiting times and more frequent cancellations, and that female passengers were taken on longer, more expensive rides. The paper suggests that removing passenger names from trip booking could reduce the immediate discrimination.
- Company involved
- Uber and Lyft
- AI system involved
- Uber and Lyft
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Bankrate Publishes AI-Generated Article with Numerous Factual Errors, Deletes After Futurism Inquiry
Bankrate published an AI-generated article about the best places to live in Colorado that contained multiple factual errors, including incorrect median home prices and unemployment rates. The article was removed after Futurism pointed out the mistakes. A Bankrate spokesperson blamed the errors on outdated data from an internal database, claiming the article was editor-reviewed. The incident follows a previous scandal where CNET and Bankrate paused AI content after similar errors, but the company has resumed AI article publication.
- Company involved
- Bankrate
1 source article · 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 →
RFK Jr.'s MAHA Report Riddled with AI-Generated Fake Citations
An investigation found dozens of errors in the White House's 'Make America Healthy Again' commission report, including broken links, wrong authors, and entirely fictitious sources. The presence of 'oaicite' markers in URLs strongly suggests that ChatGPT was used to generate citations, leading to AI hallucinations. The White House described the errors as a 'formatting issue' and updated the report to correct some of them, while defending the report's substance.
- Company involved
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
3 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 →
Joel A. Rivera v. Triad Properties Corporation, et al. (N.D. Alabama): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Public Reprimand; Disqualification; Bar…
The AI generated fabricated legal citations that were presented to the court, affecting the defendants and the judicial process.
- Company involved
- Burrill Watkins LLC
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
1 source article · read the reporting →
Guangxi homeowners lose homes in facial recognition fraud
Over 10 homeowners in Guangxi, China, were defrauded by a real estate agent who used the government's '邕e登' app to transfer their property without consent. The agent tricked them into using facial recognition for what they thought was file checking, but instead the system processed property transfers. The agent has been arrested and the case is under investigation. The local government has restricted the properties and plans to upgrade the app's security.
- Company involved
- 南宁市自然资源局
- AI system involved
- 邕e登
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Titus Henderson files civil rights lawsuit against COMPAS
Titus Henderson, a prisoner, filed a civil rights lawsuit against COMPAS and other defendants in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on July 16, 2018. The lawsuit alleges discrimination related to the use of the COMPAS risk assessment tool. The case is ongoing.
- AI system involved
- COMPAS
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Allstate's proposed retention model charged big spenders more in Maryland
Allstate proposed an auto insurance rate adjustment plan in Maryland using a retention model algorithm that varied premium changes based on existing premiums. The algorithm would have increased rates up to 20% for customers already paying the highest premiums while capping increases at 5% for others, and would have denied meaningful discounts to thousands owed reductions. The Maryland Insurance Administration rejected the plan as discriminatory, but Allstate claims it was withdrawn and has continued proposing similar models elsewhere. The proposal never took effect in Maryland.
- Company involved
- Allstate Corporation
- AI system involved
- retention model
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Study finds Italian car insurers charge more based on birthplace
A study by the Universities of Padua, Udine and Carnegie Mellon found that Italian car insurers, including Genertel, Mps, Quixa and Con.Te, use birthplace and citizenship in pricing algorithms, charging some drivers over €1,000 more. The practice was ruled against in a 2018 decree involving Linear, but the study says it continues. The companies contacted denied or explained the findings.
- Company involved
- Genertel, Mps, Quixa, Con.Te
8 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 →
University of Chicago report finds US healthcare algorithms rife with bias
A University of Chicago report alleges that algorithms used by hospitals, insurers and other businesses across the US are biased along racial and economic lines. The algorithms help triage patients, predict diabetes and flag those needing extra care, but the report says flawed products were introduced with little oversight. It says inequitable treatment has continued for more than a decade.
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Study finds credit score algorithms less accurate for minorities
A study of 50 million US consumers found that credit scoring algorithms used by mortgage lenders are less accurate for minority and low-income applicants due to sparse credit data, leading to higher rejection rates. The inaccuracy is due to noise in the data, not bias, so fairer algorithms cannot fix it. The study suggests that adjusting for bias had no effect, and that addressing the inaccuracy could reduce disparities by 50%.
- Company involved
- Mortgage lenders (unnamed)
- AI system involved
- Credit scoring algorithms
6 source articles · read the reporting →
LoanDepot algorithm denied mortgage to Black couple in Charlotte
In August 2019, Crystal Marie and Eskias McDaniels, a Black couple, were denied a mortgage for a house in Charlotte, North Carolina, by loanDepot's automated underwriting algorithm. The algorithm rejected the application because Crystal Marie was a contractor, not a full-time employee, despite her high credit score and income. After the couple enlisted their real estate agent and employer to intervene, the lender reversed the decision and cleared them to close. The couple alleged that race played a role in the denial, which loanDepot denied.
- Company involved
- loanDepot
- AI system involved
- Classic FICO and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac automated underwriting software
10 source articles · read the reporting →
LAPD told officers to collect social media data on every civilian stopped
The Los Angeles Police Department directed officers to record the social media accounts of every civilian they interviewed, including those not arrested or accused of a crime, according to records obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice. The field interview cards, which also ask for social security numbers, have raised civil liberties concerns. Prosecutors have accused three officers of using the cards to falsely label civilians as gang members. The LAPD said the policy was being updated but did not respond to questions about its use of social media monitoring tools including Media Sonar and Geofeedia.
- Company involved
- Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
- AI system involved
- Field interview cards, Media Sonar, Geofeedia
10 source articles · read the reporting →
JMOR Properties v. Artist Alley Townhomes et al. (CA Florida (4d)): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Bar Referral
The AI generated fabricated legal citations that were included in a court filing, affecting the court and the opposing party.
1 source article · read the reporting →
