Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown due to crew scheduling software failure
In December 2022, Southwest Airlines experienced a catastrophic operational meltdown after its crew scheduling software failed to assign pilots and flight attendants to flights during a winter storm. The system, SkySolver and Crew Web Access, could not handle the volume of schedule changes, leading to over 15,800 flight cancellations and stranding thousands of passengers and crew. Southwest's CEO acknowledged the technology failure and promised upgrades, but the incident remained unresolved at the time of reporting.
- Company involved
- Southwest Airlines
- AI system involved
- SkySolver and Crew Web Access
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Woman in solitary confinement after Flock camera error speaks out - NewsNation
The system misidentified her vehicle as being involved in a crime, leading to her arrest and placement in solitary confinement.
- Company involved
- Flock Safety
- AI system involved
- Flock camera
1 source article · read the reporting →
NHTSA investigates Tesla Autopilot over 11 crashes with first responder vehicles
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla's Autopilot system after identifying 11 crashes in which Tesla vehicles collided with first responder vehicles. In each incident, the vehicles were confirmed to have Autopilot or Traffic-Aware Cruise Control engaged. Most crashes occurred after dark and involved scene control measures such as lights, flares, and road cones. NHTSA will assess the system's ability to monitor driver engagement and handle emergency scenes.
- Company involved
- Tesla Inc.
- AI system involved
- Autopilot
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Dartmouth Medical School charges 17 students with cheating based on tracking system.
Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine charged 17 students with cheating on remote exams during the pandemic. The charges were based on secret tracking of student activity on the learning management system. Critics say the system is prone to errors and inappropriate for monitoring students.
- Company involved
- Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Google and HCA Healthcare partner to analyze 32 million patient records
Google Cloud has announced a partnership with HCA Healthcare to analyze around 32 million patient records. The anonymized data will be used to develop algorithms that could advise doctors on treatment options. Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the data sharing and the potential for AI to re-identify patients. HCA insists that patient-identifiable information will be stripped and that access will be tightly controlled.
- Company involved
- HCA Healthcare
- AI system involved
- Google Cloud
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Cruise robotaxi hits San Francisco fire truck, one injured
A Cruise self-driving car collided with a San Francisco Fire Department truck that was responding to an emergency. The incident occurred on August 17, 2023, in the Tenderloin district. One passenger sustained non-severe injuries and was taken to hospital. Cruise acknowledged the crash and offered support to the rider.
- Company involved
- Cruise
- AI system involved
- Cruise self-driving car
10 source articles · read the reporting →
UnitedHealthcare sued for using AI to deny Medicare Advantage patients care
A class action complaint alleges that UnitedHealthcare and its subsidiary naviHealth deployed an artificial intelligence model to override treating physicians' determinations of medically necessary care for elderly Medicare Advantage patients. The complaint claims the AI model has a known 90% error rate and wrongfully denied patients care. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, seeks damages on behalf of the estates of two deceased patients and all others similarly situated.
- Company involved
- UnitedHealthcare, Inc.
10 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 →
NHS QCovid algorithm incorrectly labels young patients as high risk, causing vaccine call-up
The article reports that scientists are questioning the reliability of the QCovid risk prediction algorithm used by the NHS to prioritise COVID-19 vaccinations. Due to missing data on weight or ethnicity, the algorithm automatically assigns a high BMI and high-risk ethnicity, leading to young, healthy patients being incorrectly labelled as high risk and called for early vaccination. GPs have identified hundreds of such cases, causing anxiety and potentially delaying vaccinations for more vulnerable individuals. NHS Digital acknowledged the issue and said clinicians can remove patients from the shielding list.
- Company involved
- NHS
- AI system involved
- QCovid
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Cruise alleged to rely on human operators for autonomous driving
A New York Times article alleged that Cruise's autonomous vehicles rely on human operators to achieve autonomous driving, with 1.5 workers per vehicle intervening every 2.5 to five miles. Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt responded on Hacker News, stating that remote assistance is used 2-4% of the time and that many sessions are resolved by the vehicle itself. The company declined an interview request from the NYT.
- Company involved
- Cruise
- AI system involved
- Cruise AV
9 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 →
LinkedIn removes AI 'co-worker' accounts that were seeking jobs
LinkedIn removed at least two AI 'co-worker' accounts whose profile images said they were '#OpenToWork'. One account named Ella claimed it would outperform any social media team and needed no coffee breaks. The article does not specify further consequences.
- Company involved
- LinkedIn
- AI system involved
- AI 'co-worker' account 'Ella'
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Microsoft Copilot vulnerable to automated phishing and data theft
Security researcher Michael Bargury demonstrated at Black Hat that Microsoft's Copilot AI can be manipulated by attackers to send phishing emails, extract private data, and bypass security protections. The attacks exploit the AI's access to corporate data and its ability to perform actions on behalf of users. Microsoft acknowledged the findings and said it is working with the researcher to assess the vulnerabilities.
- Company involved
- Microsoft
- AI system involved
- Copilot
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Two women hospitalized after stopping medication on ChatGPT's advice
Two women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, stopped taking prescribed medications for diabetes and high cholesterol after following advice from OpenAI's ChatGPT. This led to severe health complications, including dangerously high blood sugar and signs of myocardial ischemia, requiring hospitalization. The treating doctor warned that AI cannot replace medical professionals and that self-medicating based on AI advice can be life-threatening.
- Company involved
- OpenAI
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
1 source article · read the reporting →
ChatGPT Health fails to direct 52% of medical emergencies to emergency care in study
A study published in Nature Medicine found that OpenAI's ChatGPT Health tool under-triaged 52% of true medical emergencies, directing users to non-urgent care instead of emergency departments. The AI also misclassified 35% of non-urgent cases. Researchers at Mount Sinai conducted 960 tests across 60 clinical scenarios, noting the tool's susceptibility to anchoring bias when symptoms were minimized. The study highlights potential safety concerns as millions use AI for health guidance.
- Company involved
- OpenAI
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT Health
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Security Health Plan used AI to cut off nursing home care for 85-year-old woman
Frances Walter, an 85-year-old woman with a shattered shoulder, had her nursing home care payment cut off by Security Health Plan after an algorithm predicted she would recover in 16.6 days. The algorithm, nH Predict from NaviHealth, did not account for her severe pain and allergy to pain medicine. She was forced to spend her life savings and enroll in Medicaid while fighting the denial. A federal judge later ruled the denial was speculative and she was owed thousands of dollars.
- Company involved
- Security Health Plan
- AI system involved
- nH Predict
1 source article · read the reporting →
US Patriot missile downs RAF Tornado, killing two crew
On 22 March 2003, a US Army Patriot missile battery in Kuwait misidentified a RAF Tornado returning to base as an Iraqi anti-radiation missile. The system's automated classification, combined with a possible failure of the aircraft's identification friend or foe system, led the crew to engage, killing both crew members instantly. A UK Ministry of Defence investigation found that overly broad classification criteria, inadequate rules of engagement, and training focused on generic threats contributed to the incident. The Patriot system's software and operational procedures had previously been implicated in a 1991 friendly-fire incident that killed 28 soldiers.
- Company involved
- US Army
- AI system involved
- Patriot
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Hospitals Use OpenAI’s Whisper Despite Medical Transcription Hallucinations
OpenAI’s Whisper transcription tool is used by over 30,000 medical workers and can insert fabricated text into patient records. Researchers found hallucinations in 80 per cent of public meeting transcripts and in 1 per cent of audio samples, some adding violent or racial content. Mankato Clinic and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles are among 40 health systems using Nabla’s Whisper-powered copilot, which erases original audio recordings. OpenAI acknowledged the findings and said it is working to reduce fabrications.
- Company involved
- Mankato Clinic; Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
- AI system involved
- Whisper
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Deepfake video of ITV journalist Mary Nightingale promotes investment scam
In February 2024, a deepfake video of ITV News presenter Mary Nightingale appeared on social media. The manipulated 45-second clip showed Nightingale apparently presenting the ITV Evening News before promoting a fraudulent investment app. The video was deleted shortly after it was posted. Nightingale said she was "livid" and described the incident as identity theft.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
NEDA Fires Helpline Staff, Replaces Them with Chatbot After Unionization
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) fired four full-time helpline staff and announced the shutdown of its 20-year-old helpline, replacing it with a chatbot named Tessa. The staff had recently unionized and won an NLRB election, leading to allegations that the move was union busting. NEDA claims the chatbot, a rule-based system developed by Washington University, is a separate program to better serve the community, but the union and critics argue it cannot replace human empathy and may cause irreparable harm. The helpline is set to end on June 1, 2023, with volunteers asked to become testers for the chatbot.
- Company involved
- National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
- AI system involved
- Tessa
10 source articles · read the reporting →
AI image generation triggers psychosis in startup employee
Caitlin Ner, head of user experience at an unnamed AI image generation startup, spent up to nine hours a day generating AI images of herself. Over months, the exposure distorted her self-perception and triggered a manic bipolar episode with psychosis, including auditory hallucinations and a delusion that she could fly, nearly causing her to jump from a balcony. She left the startup, sought therapy, and recovered. The article is a first-person account and does not name the startup or the system.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Hospital Denies Pain Medication to Patient Based on Narx Score
Elizabeth Amirault, a 34-year-old chronic pain patient, was denied narcotic pain medication during a hospital visit in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in August 2022. A nurse practitioner told her that her Narx Score, generated by Bamboo Health's NarxCare platform, was too high to prescribe opioids. The algorithm uses prescription drug monitoring data to assess risk of misuse, but critics say it can harm patients by cutting off needed care. Amirault believes her score was unfairly high due to her multiple surgeries and doctors.
- AI system involved
- NarxCare
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Docomo Pacific CEO's mother targeted in AI voice cloning scam
Docomo Pacific's CEO Christine Baleto revealed that her elderly mother received a scam call from someone impersonating a federal agent, using AI voice cloning to pressure her into revealing personal information. The caller threatened to send agents to her home if she did not comply. Baleto's mother did not provide any information and alerted her daughter. Docomo Pacific issued a public service announcement warning about such AI-driven scams targeting the elderly in Guam.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
