Where automated decisions went wrong

Mazaheri v Law Society of Ontario (Law Society Tribunal (ON)): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Adverse Costs Order

AI generated fabricated legal citations in a court filing by Shahryar Mazaheri.

1 source article · read the reporting →

UnitedHealth used ALERT algorithm to limit mental health coverage, regulators found

ProPublica reports that UnitedHealth Group's Optum subsidiary used the ALERT algorithm to flag mental health patients and therapists as outliers, leading to therapy coverage denials. Regulators in California, Massachusetts and New York alleged this breached the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and UnitedHealth agreed to restrict the system in those jurisdictions. The company denies wrongdoing and says its programmes are compliant. Affected patients, including Medicaid enrollees, were left to pay out-of-pocket or go without care.

Company involved

UnitedHealth Group

AI system involved

ALERT

5 source articles · read the reporting →

Henry v. Long Island University (E.D. New York): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Two-year filing-disclosure sanction

The court granted a motion to dismiss and imposed sanctions on plaintiff's counsel for submitting a brief with AI-hallucinated fake cases.

1 source article · read the reporting →

NHS liver transplant algorithm causes longer waits for younger patients

An NHS computer algorithm that prioritises liver transplant patients most likely to die soon has led to younger patients waiting 156 days longer on average than those over 60. The algorithm, launched in 2018, gives a score based on 21 recipient and seven donor parameters. Patients like Sarah Meredith, 31, have been waiting two years for a transplant. NHS Blood and Transplant defends the system as saving lives but acknowledges the stress on younger patients.

Company involved

NHS Blood and Transplant

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Jessica Fuller v. Hyde School, et al. (D. Maine): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, CLE; Firm procedures and certification; Serve…

The AI generated fictitious legal citations that were submitted to the court in a legal filing.

AI system involved

ChatGPT or Claude

1 source article · read the reporting →

Reaves Law Firm, PLLC v. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, et al. (W.D. Tennessee): AI-hallucinated content in court…

The AI generated fictitious legal authorities and arguments that were filed in a court motion, misleading the court and opposing counsel.

Company involved

Reaves Law Firm, PLLC

1 source article · read the reporting →

Southland Homes & Real Estate and Investment, LLC v. Lam (SC California): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Monetary Sanctions; Bar…

The AI system generated legal briefs containing fabricated case citations, which were filed in court, affecting the court and the opposing party.

1 source article · 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 →

EviCore denied heart catheterization for patient using algorithm

In fall 2021, Little John Cupp's doctor requested a left heart catheterization exam. EviCore, a company hired by UnitedHealthcare, denied the request twice using an algorithm called 'the dial' that adjusts thresholds for review. The algorithm flagged the request for review, and EviCore's doctors determined it was not medically necessary. Cupp did not receive the procedure and his symptoms continued.

Company involved

EviCore (a Cigna company)

AI system involved

the dial

6 source articles · read the reporting →

IRCC uses AI triage for Temporary Resident Visa applications

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses an AI system called Advanced Analytics to triage Temporary Resident Visa applications from India and China. The system categorizes applications into tiers, with Tier 1 approved automatically and others sent to human officers. Critics allege the system lacks transparency and may introduce bias, leading to visa refusals without clear rationale. The author, a Canadian immigration lawyer, is filing Federal Court cases on behalf of clients affected by refusals.

Company involved

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

AI system involved

Advanced Analytics Triage of Overseas Temporary Resident Visa Applications

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Humana sued for using AI to deny seniors rehabilitation care

Health insurer Humana is accused in a class-action lawsuit of using an AI algorithm to systematically deny rehabilitation care to Medicare Advantage patients, despite recommendations from their doctors. The lawsuit, filed on December 12, 2023, alleges that the AI tool restricted medically necessary care. This is the second major health insurer to face legal action over its use of AI to deny care.

Company involved

Humana

9 source articles · read the reporting →

Judge rules lawsuit over UnitedHealth’s AI care denials can move forward - STAT

The system denied necessary medical care to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.

Company involved

UnitedHealth Group

1 source article · read the reporting →

California EDD's automated fraud detection wrongly suspended 600,000 legitimate unemployment claims

In January 2021, the California Employment Development Department used Thompson Reuters automated batch review software to flag 1.1 million unemployment claims as potentially fraudulent. EDD stopped payments on those claims without prior notice. Later, over 600,000 were confirmed as legitimate after claimants used ID.me to verify their identity. The incident highlights the trade-off between fraud prevention and timely benefit access.

Company involved

California Employment Development Department (EDD)

AI system involved

Thompson Reuters Automated Batch Review

7 source articles · read the reporting →

Haryana government's algorithm wrongly declares thousands dead, stops pensions

The Haryana state government's Family Identity Data Repository (PPP) algorithm wrongly declared thousands of elderly and widowed citizens as dead, stopping their pensions. Dhuli Chand, a 102-year-old man, had to stage a mock wedding procession to prove he was alive after his pension was cut for six months. The government acknowledged the errors and corrected some records, but many still face difficulties.

Company involved

Haryana state government

AI system involved

Family Identity Data Repository (Parivar Pehchan Patra or PPP)

6 source articles · read the reporting →

Air Canada liable for chatbot's misleading bereavement advice

Air Canada was found liable by the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal for misleading advice given by its website chatbot. The chatbot told a passenger they could retroactively claim a bereavement rate, but the airline later denied the claim. The tribunal ordered Air Canada to pay $812 in compensation, noting the airline's argument that the chatbot was a separate legal entity was 'remarkable'.

Company involved

Air Canada

AI system involved

Air Canada chatbot

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Serco Leisure issued enforcement notices for unlawful biometric monitoring of employees

Serco Leisure and associated trusts used facial recognition and fingerprint scanning to monitor employee attendance at 38 leisure facilities. The ICO found they unlawfully processed biometric data of over 2,000 employees. Enforcement notices were issued ordering them to stop.

Company involved

Serco Leisure Operating Limited

8 source articles · read the reporting →

UNOS liver allocation policy reduces transplants in poorer states

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) implemented a new liver allocation policy in 2020 called the acuity circles system, which prioritizes the sickest patients regardless of location. An analysis by The Markup and The Washington Post found that the policy led to sharp declines in liver transplants in several Southern and Midwestern states and Puerto Rico, while increasing transplants in New York and California. Patients in affected states allege the system disadvantages poorer regions, and hospitals have sued to overturn the policy.

Company involved

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)

AI system involved

Acuity circles liver allocation policy

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Teething problems in Mater Dei's medicine robots addressed

The Malta Union for Midwives and Nurses claimed that a €23 million investment in two computerised drug administration robots, Mario and Sophia, at Mater Dei Hospital had resulted in a complete failure. However, sources within the Health Ministry said that most teething problems have been addressed and that the supplier has not been paid yet. They reported that out of over 1,700 medication rounds, only four required a contingency plan.

Company involved

Mater Dei Hospital

AI system involved

Mario and Sophia

6 source articles · read the reporting →

NHS plans AI to listen to appointments and generate notes

The UK's National Health Service announced plans to use AI to automatically generate notes from patient appointments. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said the scheme would reduce admin time. Privacy campaigners raised concerns about data security and accuracy, citing an incident where AI misheard the chief medical officer's name. The Department of Health and Social Care stated that patient confidentiality remains a top priority.

Company involved

National Health Service (NHS)

3 source articles · read the reporting →

Swedish welfare agency's AI system flags marginalized groups for fraud investigations

Försäkringskassan, Sweden's Social Insurance Agency, uses an AI risk-scoring system to flag welfare applicants for fraud investigations. The system disproportionately targets women, individuals with foreign backgrounds, low-income earners, and those without university degrees, according to an investigation by Lighthouse Reports and Svenska Dagbladet. Amnesty International has called for the system to be discontinued, citing violations of the right to equality and non-discrimination.

Company involved

Försäkringskassan (Swedish Social Insurance Agency)

6 source articles · read the reporting →

AEMPS withdraws AI medicines tool MeQA after detecting errors

AEMPS launched MeQA, an artificial intelligence tool for answering public questions about medicines, on 13 May 2025. Two days later it withdrew the tool after detecting that some responses contained errors. The agency said that most answers were correct but that the errors could affect patient safety, and that it would restore the service as soon as possible.

Company involved

Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS)

AI system involved

MeQA

4 source articles · read the reporting →

DWP algorithm mistakenly flags 200,000 Housing Benefit claimants for fraud review

The UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uses an algorithm to flag Housing Benefit claimants for possible fraud or error. According to a Big Brother Watch investigation, the algorithm has mistakenly flagged 200,000 innocent people, subjecting them to intrusive reviews. Only one in three flagged cases actually had errors, compared to two in three during the pilot. The DWP has spent £4.4 million on these pointless checks.

Company involved

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

6 source articles · read the reporting →

DWP algorithm approved Kickstart gateways with no trading history or based abroad

An FE Week investigation found that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) approved dozens of companies as Kickstart gateways through automated due diligence checks using the Cabinet Office Spotlight Tool, although some had little or no trading history or were based abroad. The DWP said gateways were subject to stringent checks and later said human checks were also used. After the findings were shared with the Treasury and the DWP, the department stopped taking gateway applications and scrapped the requirement for small employers to use gateways from 3 February.

Company involved

Department for Work and Pensions

AI system involved

Cabinet Office Spotlight Tool

3 source articles · read the reporting →

Tennessee's TennCare Connect algorithm illegally denied thousands Medicaid benefits

A U.S. District Court judge ruled that Tennessee's TennCare Connect system, built by Deloitte for over $400 million, illegally denied thousands of low-income residents and people with disabilities Medicaid and disability benefits due to programming and data errors. The system automatically terminated coverage without properly considering eligibility for all available programs. A class action lawsuit filed in 2020 resulted in the ruling.

Company involved

TennCare (Tennessee Medicaid)

AI system involved

TennCare Connect

10 source articles · read the reporting →