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 →
AMS algorithm lacks transparency and may discriminate against job seekers
The Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS) uses an algorithm to classify job seekers into categories A, B, and C, determining their access to benefits and training. Scientists from TU Wien, WU Wien, and University of Vienna have criticised the algorithm for lacking transparency, as only two of 96 model variants have been published. They allege that the system may discriminate against women and people with migration background, and that job seekers are not informed about how the algorithm works or given a chance to appeal.
- Company involved
- AMS (Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich)
- AI system involved
- AMS-Algorithmus
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity AI search results promote racist IQ data
AI-powered search engines from Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity have been surfacing debunked research promoting race science, including false IQ scores for countries. The systems pulled data from a dataset by Richard Lynn, a known proponent of scientific racism. Google removed the offending Overviews after being contacted by WIRED, but the data still appears in featured snippets and other AI tools.
- Company involved
- Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity
- AI system involved
- AI Overviews, Copilot, Perplexity
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Dutch government continued SyRI welfare fraud profiling after ban
The Dutch government deployed the SyRI algorithm to profile welfare recipients in low-income neighborhoods, despite a 2020 court ruling that the system violated EU human rights. The algorithm flagged thousands of parents for fraud based on illegal risk factors such as dual nationality, leading to false accusations, bankruptcy, and trauma. The government has announced an external review of the practices.
- Company involved
- Ministry of Social Affairs of the Netherlands
- AI system involved
- SyRI
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Finnish recruitment company Digital Minds used AI to analyze job applicants' messages, prompting data protection investigation
Digital Minds, a Finnish recruitment company founded by psychologists, used IBM Watson AI to analyze job applicants' social media and email messages for personality assessments. The company obtained written consent but the Finnish Data Protection Ombudsman launched an investigation, suspecting violations of data protection laws and the secrecy of correspondence. The service was used on fewer than ten applicants and has been paused pending the investigation.
- Company involved
- Digital Minds
- AI system involved
- IBM Watson
9 source articles · read the reporting →
New York City's McKinsey-led jail violence program manipulated data, violence increased
New York City paid McKinsey & Company $27.5 million to reduce violence at Rikers Island jail complex. McKinsey designed a predictive algorithm called the Housing Unit Balancer and Restart housing units, but jail officials and McKinsey consultants stacked the units with compliant inmates to artificially lower violence numbers. Violence actually increased by nearly 50% during the project. The city eventually decided to close Rikers.
- Company involved
- New York City Department of Correction
- AI system involved
- Housing Unit Balancer (HUB)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
AI drug discovery system repurposed to generate toxic molecules in demonstration
In 2020, Collaborations Pharmaceuticals demonstrated that its AI drug discovery system, MegaSyn, could be repurposed to generate toxic molecules similar to the nerve agent VX. The company ran the software overnight and produced 40,000 potentially hazardous substances. The researchers presented their findings at a conference and briefed the White House, warning that such AI systems could be misused to create chemical weapons.
- Company involved
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals
- AI system involved
- MegaSyn
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Wisconsin’s dropout prediction algorithm labels students high risk with racial bias
Wisconsin’s Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS) uses machine learning to predict middle school students' likelihood of graduating on time, relying on factors including race and income. The Markup found the algorithm frequently mislabels students, with a higher false alarm rate for Black and Hispanic students. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has not informed schools of the racial disparities and continues to use the system.
- Company involved
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- AI system involved
- Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Nevada's AI grad score model cuts funding for low-income students
Nevada replaced its income-based school funding formula with a machine learning model developed by Infinite Campus that generates a 'grad score' for each student. The model reduced the number of students eligible for supplemental funding from 288,000 to 63,000, disproportionately affecting low-income students. Critics argue the model lacks transparency and de-emphasizes economic status, potentially leaving many high-poverty schools underfunded.
- Company involved
- Nevada Department of Education
- AI system involved
- Grad score model
7 source articles · read the reporting →
DeepScore markets facial and voice analysis app for trustworthiness scoring despite experts' doubts
DeepScore, a Tokyo-based company, is marketing an app that uses facial and voice recognition to score people's trustworthiness for lenders and insurers in Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The company says the app can detect deception with 70 per cent accuracy, but researchers and privacy advocates say there is no reliable scientific basis for such judgments and warn of discrimination and privacy harms. The chief executive said the system is only one part of lenders' and insurers' decision-making and that people can choose not to use it. Critics respond that an unequal balance of power makes consent difficult.
- Company involved
- DeepScore
- AI system involved
- DeepScore
6 source articles · read the reporting →
ViaQuatro's facial recognition system in São Paulo metro challenged in court
In April 2018, ViaQuatro installed the Digital Interactive Doors System, developed by AdMobilize, on the São Paulo metro's yellow line. The system used cameras to detect passengers' faces and claimed to infer their emotion, age, and gender in order to target advertisements. The Brazilian Institute of Consumer Protection (IDEC) filed a public civil action alleging that the system violated consumer and data protection laws by processing biometric data without consent and making pseudoscientific and discriminatory inferences. A judge ordered the cameras removed in August 2018, and the case is pending a final ruling.
- Company involved
- ViaQuatro
- AI system involved
- Digital Interactive Doors System (DID system)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Hospitals use Epic AI to predict Covid-19 decline without validation
Dozens of hospitals across the US are using Epic's deterioration index AI system to predict which Covid-19 patients will become critically ill, despite the tool not being validated for the new disease. The rapid deployment during the pandemic bypassed normal testing and validation processes.
- AI system involved
- Deterioration index
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Denmark's Udbetaling Danmark welfare algorithm illegally surveilled millions
Udbetaling Danmark (UDK), Denmark's centralized welfare payment agency, used automated algorithms to check eligibility and detect fraud. The system collected personal data on millions of beneficiaries and their relatives, including non-beneficiaries, in what a think-tank called 'systematic surveillance'. A complaint to the Danish Data Protection Authority led to a ruling that the data collection violated GDPR, and UDK eventually deleted the illegally obtained data. The system also caused erroneous payments, including underpaying 300,000 pensioners by 94 million euros annually.
- Company involved
- Udbetaling Danmark
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Campaigners call for end to Home Office's IPIC 'robo-caseworker' AI tool
Migrants' rights campaigners have called for the UK government to stop using the IPIC (Identify & Prioritise Immigration Cases) AI system, which automatically identifies and recommends migrants for immigration decisions or enforcement action. Privacy International and the Migrants' Rights Network have raised concerns that the system could lead to racial bias and the 'rubberstamping' of algorithmic recommendations by caseworkers. The campaigners argue that people going through the immigration system may not know their information has been processed by an algorithm. The Home Office has not directly responded to the specific concerns, though Science Secretary Peter Kyle has defended the safe development of AI in public services.
- Company involved
- Home Office
- AI system involved
- IPIC (Identify & Prioritise Immigration Cases)
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Unity faces employee concerns over military contract transparency
An investigation by Vice Games reported that Unity Technologies is not transparent with its developers about military contracts. Employees allege some are unaware their work on AI tools may become part of Department of Defense projects. CEO John Riccitiello stated the company will not support programs that violate its principles, but sources say many staff are angry. Unity said it cannot police all uses of its engine as it is a tool available to anyone.
- Company involved
- Unity Technologies
- AI system involved
- Unity engine
8 source articles · read the reporting →
FTC settles with IntelliVision over deceptive facial recognition claims
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against IntelliVision Technologies Corp. for making false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims about its AI-powered facial recognition software. The company allegedly claimed its software had one of the highest accuracy rates on the market and was free of gender or racial bias, without supporting evidence. The FTC also alleged that IntelliVision did not train its software on millions of faces as claimed, but on images of approximately 100,000 individuals. Under a proposed consent order, IntelliVision is prohibited from making such misrepresentations without competent and reliable testing.
- Company involved
- IntelliVision Technologies Corp.
- AI system involved
- IntelliVision facial recognition software
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Stable Diffusion amplifies racial and gender stereotypes in generated images
An analysis by Bloomberg of over 5,000 images generated by Stability AI's Stable Diffusion found that the text-to-image model amplifies racial and gender stereotypes. The model overrepresented lighter-skinned men in high-paying jobs and darker-skinned people in low-paying jobs, and underrepresented women in positions of power. Stability AI acknowledged the inherent biases in its models and stated it is working on mitigation.
- Company involved
- Stability AI
- AI system involved
- Stable Diffusion
8 source articles · 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 →
Study finds Midjourney, DALL-E 2, Stable Diffusion accept over 85% of fake news prompts
A study by AI startup Logically tested Midjourney, DALL-E 2, and Stable Diffusion and found that they accepted over 85% of prompts seeking to generate fake political news. The systems generated images of ballot stuffing, small boat arrivals, and explosions. Logically warned that the lack of moderation could pose threats to upcoming elections. Stability AI responded by stating its ethical use license and measures to prevent misuse.
- Company involved
- Midjourney, OpenAI, Stability AI
- AI system involved
- Midjourney, DALL-E 2, Stable Diffusion
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Answer.AI tests Devin and reports 14 failures in 20 tasks
Answer.AI's team tested Devin, an autonomous AI coding assistant, on 20 real-world tasks over a month. Devin succeeded in only 3 tasks, failed 14, and was inconclusive in 3. The team found Devin often produced overly complex or hallucinated solutions and could not recognize fundamental blockers. They ultimately decided to stick with tools that allow more human control.
- AI system involved
- Devin
5 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 →
Israel uses AI system 'the Gospel' to select bombing targets in Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been using an AI-based targeting system called 'the Gospel' to select bombing targets in Gaza during the war with Hamas. The system generates a high volume of target recommendations, significantly increasing the pace of airstrikes. Critics argue that the reliance on AI leads to insufficient human oversight and greater civilian harm. The IDF maintains that it follows international law and takes precautions to mitigate civilian casualties.
- Company involved
- Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
- AI system involved
- the Gospel (Habsora)
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Seoul Metropolitan Government rolls out AI CCTV cameras to prevent suicides
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has rolled out AI-enabled CCTV cameras on Han River bridges to identify people at risk of suicide. The system uses deep learning to analyse behavioural patterns and alerts rescue teams. Experts and Privacy International have raised concerns that it is invasive and could be misused because it captures biometric data without explicit consent. The article also considers whether such technology could be implemented in India.
- Company involved
- Seoul Metropolitan Government
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Geologists raise censorship and bias concerns over IUGS-backed GeoGPT chatbot
Geologists, particularly in developing countries, have raised concerns that GeoGPT, an AI chatbot backed by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and developed under the Deep-time Digital Earth programme, may censor or bias geological information. Tests with its underlying AI, Qwen, developed by Alibaba, reportedly produced evasive or inadequate answers to sensitive questions. The IUGS and DDE deny state influence, saying the information is purely geoscientific, and have said the database will be made public once governance is ensured.
- Company involved
- International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and Deep-time Digital Earth (DDE) program
- AI system involved
- GeoGPT (underlying AI: Qwen)
6 source articles · read the reporting →
