University of Michigan halts vendor offering student data for AI training
The University of Michigan asked a vendor to stop work after a LinkedIn message offered to license student data for AI training for $25,000. The data came from past research studies and did not contain personal identifiers. The university stated that student data was never for sale and that the vendor had shared inaccurate information. The vendor was asked to halt their work.
- Company involved
- University of Michigan
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Dutch government to refund over 10,000 students over discriminatory DUO fraud algorithm
The Dutch government has pledged to refund over 10,000 students who were unjustly flagged for student finance fraud by a discriminatory algorithm used by the Education Executive Agency (DUO). The algorithm, implemented in 2012, used criteria that disproportionately targeted students from immigrant backgrounds, particularly those of Turkish and Moroccan descent. Following investigations by the Dutch Data Protection Authority and an independent report by PwC, the algorithm was suspended in July 2023 and replaced with a random-sampling system. The government has allocated 61 million euro for refunds.
- Company involved
- Education Executive Agency (DUO)
- AI system involved
- DUO fraud detection system
9 source articles · read the reporting →
ChatGPT use linked to memory loss and procrastination in students
A study published in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education surveyed hundreds of university students in Pakistan and found that those who relied more on ChatGPT reported increased procrastination, memory loss, and lower GPAs. The researchers attribute this to the chatbot making schoolwork too easy, reducing students' cognitive effort. The study's lead author warned of a "dark side" to excessive generative AI usage.
- Company involved
- National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
4 source articles · read the reporting →
CJEU rules Dun & Bradstreet must explain automated credit decisions under GDPR
A customer was refused a mobile phone contract because of an automated credit assessment by Dun & Bradstreet Austria. The customer took the case to court, which found that Dun & Bradstreet had infringed the GDPR by failing to provide meaningful information about the logic involved. The CJEU ruled that data controllers must explain automated decisions and that trade secrets cannot automatically override the right of access.
- Company involved
- Dun & Bradstreet Austria GmbH
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Slack trains AI features on user messages and files by default
Slack uses user messages, files, and data to train its machine learning features such as channel recommendations and emoji suggestions. Users are opted in by default and cannot individually opt out; only workspace administrators can request exclusion via email. A user publicly criticized the practice, and Slack acknowledged the policy but did not change it.
- Company involved
- Slack
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Baltimore schools monitor student laptops for suicide signs using GoGuardian Beacon
Baltimore City Public Schools uses GoGuardian Beacon software to monitor student laptops for signs of suicide. Since March 2021, the system has flagged 786 alerts, with nine students taken to emergency rooms. Privacy advocates warn the monitoring could lead to disciplinary actions, outing of LGBTQ students, and disproportionately affect disadvantaged students. School officials defend the practice as a safeguard.
- Company involved
- Baltimore City Public Schools
- AI system involved
- GoGuardian Beacon
10 source articles · read the reporting →
MIT apologizes and pulls offline dataset that taught AI to use slurs
MIT permanently removed its 80 Million Tiny Images dataset after researchers discovered it contained thousands of images labeled with racist and misogynistic slurs. The dataset, used to train AI systems for object detection, was built by automatically scraping images from the internet using a list of nouns from WordNet that included derogatory terms. MIT apologized and urged the community to delete copies of the dataset.
- Company involved
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- AI system involved
- 80 Million Tiny Images
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Anti-piracy group takes down Books3 dataset used to train Meta's LLaMA
The Danish anti-piracy group Rights Alliance sent a DMCA takedown request to The Eye, which hosted the Books3 dataset containing 196,640 copyrighted books. The dataset was used by Meta to train its LLaMA language model. Authors including Sarah Silverman have filed a class action lawsuit against Meta for using their works without permission. The dataset has been taken offline, but copies remain available.
- Company involved
- Meta
- AI system involved
- LLaMA
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Duke University recorded students' faces without proper consent for public dataset
In March 2014, Duke University researchers recorded thousands of students walking to class on campus without their knowledge or proper consent, creating the DukeMTMC dataset of over 2 million image frames. The dataset was placed on a public website and downloaded by academics, security contractors, and military researchers globally, including Chinese companies and military academies linked to surveillance of ethnic minorities. The university took down the public website in April 2019 after an Institutional Review Board investigation found the study deviated significantly from the approved protocol. The lead researcher apologized, stating he took full responsibility for his mistakes.
- Company involved
- Duke University
- AI system involved
- DukeMTMC
10 source articles · read the reporting →
OpenDream AI art site allowed users to generate child sexual abuse material
OpenDream, an AI image generation platform, allowed users to generate and publicly display child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and non-consensual deepfakes from at least December 2023 until July 2024. The platform, operated by CBM Media Pte Ltd in Singapore, offered paid plans with NSFW prompts and models. Bellingcat reported the site to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. After Bellingcat's inquiry, the CSAM was removed from the site and search engines, and Google terminated OpenDream's AdSense account.
- Company involved
- CBM Media Pte Ltd
- AI system involved
- OpenDream
3 source articles · read the reporting →
UCCS professor secretly photographed over 1,700 people for facial recognition research
A University of Colorado Colorado Springs professor, Terrance Boult, led a project that secretly photographed more than 1,700 students, faculty, and passers-by on campus in 2012-2013 to improve facial recognition technology. The photos were published as a public dataset from 2016 until April 2019. University officials defended the research, but a law professor questioned the ethics of the surveillance without consent.
- Company involved
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs
10 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 →
Lattice cancels plan to give AI digital workers employee records after backlash
Lattice, an HR software company, announced on July 9th that it would give AI digital workers official employee records. After strong backlash from HR professionals and others on LinkedIn, the company canceled the feature on July 12th, stating it 'will not further pursue digital workers in the product.' The feature was intended to manage AI bots such as Devin and Piper, but the company reversed course.
- Company involved
- Lattice
- AI system involved
- Lattice
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Chelmer Valley High School reprimanded for facial recognition DPIA failure
Chelmer Valley High School was issued a reprimand by the ICO for failing to complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment before introducing facial recognition technology for cashless catering. The reprimand was issued on 22 July 2024.
- Company involved
- Chelmer Valley High School
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Paradox security vulnerability exposed candidate data to researchers
On June 30, 2025, security researchers discovered a vulnerability in Paradox's test account that allowed access to chat interaction records. The researchers viewed five candidates' personal information including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and IP addresses. Paradox fixed the issue within hours and stated that no data was leaked publicly. The company has since implemented new security measures.
- Company involved
- Paradox
- AI system involved
- Paradox conversational AI platform
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Luma's Dream Machine generates video with Disney character
Luma's AI video tool Dream Machine generated a trailer that included a recognizable character from Disney's Monsters, Inc. The company's CEO said a user uploaded an image containing the character, which the system then animated. The incident raises concerns about lack of transparency in training data and potential copyright infringement. Disney has not publicly commented.
- Company involved
- Luma
- AI system involved
- Dream Machine
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Ask Delphi AI trained on Reddit posts gave unethical answers including endorsing genocide
Ask Delphi, an AI system designed to answer ethical questions, was trained on Reddit posts and crowdworker judgments. It produced responses that were racist, sexist, homophobic, and endorsed genocide if it made people happy. Researchers updated the system three times and added warnings. Critics argue that teaching AI ethics is fundamentally flawed.
- AI system involved
- Ask Delphi
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Starship delivery robots blocked wheelchair users at University of Pittsburgh
In October 2019, Starship Technologies' autonomous delivery robots blocked wheelchair users on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Doctoral student Emily Ackerman reported that a robot blocked the only accessible sidewalk entrance, trapping her near traffic. Another wheelchair user, Alisa Grishman, had a similar incident earlier that month. The university and Starship paused the robot program for review.
- Company involved
- Starship Technologies
- AI system involved
- Starship delivery robot
4 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 →
CBSE OnMark portal vulnerability exposed student data to Google Gemini
A 19-year-old ethical hacker, Nisarga Adhikary, claimed to have hacked the CBSE's digital evaluation ecosystem, revealing that personal information of students was processed by Google's Gemini in automation scripts. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) stated on May 31, 2026, that the identified vulnerabilities had been contained and other exploitable weaknesses were being ruled out. The board expressed gratitude to alert citizens and ethical hackers who pointed out the weaknesses. No actual data breach was confirmed, but the incident raised concerns about student privacy.
- Company involved
- Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
- AI system involved
- OnMark
1 source article · read the reporting →
Vanderbilt, Northwestern and University of Texas stop using Turnitin AI detector over false cheating accusations
Several US universities, including Vanderbilt, Northwestern and the University of Texas, have stopped using Turnitin's AI detection tool over concerns that it falsely marks student essays as written by ChatGPT. Vanderbilt estimated that the tool's 1% false-positive rate could have wrongly labelled about 750 of 75,000 papers submitted last year. A Texas professor came under fire for failing half his class after the software identified their essays as AI-generated. Turnitin said its technology is not meant to replace educators' professional discretion.
- Company involved
- Multiple universities (Vanderbilt University, Northwestern University, University of Texas)
- AI system involved
- Turnitin's AI detection tool
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Mass AI cheating scandal at Yonsei University with hundreds of students using ChatGPT
A large-scale cheating scandal has erupted at Yonsei University, where hundreds of students in a third-year online course are suspected of using AI tools such as ChatGPT to cheat on their midterm exam. The professor discovered signs of misconduct and offered students a chance to confess, with those coming forward receiving a zero but no further penalty. A poll on a student community app indicated that over half of respondents admitted to cheating. The university has not yet established clear guidelines on AI use.
- Company involved
- Yonsei University
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Richland School District investigates AI-generated obscene images of students
Students at Richland Township School District allegedly used artificial intelligence to create and distribute obscene images of other students. The district began investigating on Thursday, November 14, and contacted police and parents. Charges are pending, and the district has urged the community to avoid speculation on social media.
- Company involved
- Richland Township School District
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Duke University MTMC Dataset Used in Authoritarian Surveillance Research
Duke University created and openly distributed the Duke MTMC dataset, containing surveillance footage of approximately 2,000 students and visitors on campus. The dataset was used by numerous organisations, including Chinese military-linked companies like SenseTime and Hikvision, for developing person re-identification and facial recognition technologies. Following an investigation by exposing.ai and the Financial Times, Duke University terminated the dataset in May 2019. The incident highlights the privacy risks of academic datasets being repurposed for mass surveillance without consent.
- Company involved
- Duke University
- AI system involved
- Duke MTMC
1 source article · read the reporting →
