Airbnb bans users in Australia using trustworthiness algorithm
Airbnb is accused of using an algorithm acquired from Trooly to score users' trustworthiness based on publicly available data, including social media and occupation. Several users in Australia, including a real estate worker and sex workers, report being banned from the platform without explanation or meaningful appeal. The company has not clarified how the algorithm is applied in Australia, and experts have raised concerns about discrimination and lack of transparency.
- Company involved
- Airbnb
- AI system involved
- Trooly
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Google Pixel 9 tools generate offensive images and fake photos
Google's Pixel Studio and Reimagine features on the Pixel 9 phones are accused of generating offensive, copyrighted images and allowing users to create convincing fake photos. Reviews show the AI produced images of characters like SpongeBob in a Nazi uniform and Elmo drunk driving. Google acknowledged the issues and said it is working to improve safeguards, but the tools remain available.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- Pixel Studio, Reimagine (Magic Editor)
5 source articles · read the reporting →
ChatGPT fabricates travel destinations, endangering tourists in Peru and Japan
Tourists using ChatGPT to plan trips have been given fabricated information, including a non-existent canyon in Peru that could have led to a fatal hike, and incorrect cable car times in Japan that left a couple stranded on a mountain. Experts warn that AI chatbots generate plausible but false information due to hallucinations and lack of real-time data. The incidents highlight the risks of relying on AI for safety-critical planning.
- Company involved
- OpenAI
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Inflection background check errors lead to lawsuits from banned Airbnb users
Inflection, a background check company used by Airbnb, Uber, and other platforms, has been sued multiple times for providing inaccurate reports. The lawsuits allege that Inflection's name-only matching and outdated data caused people to be wrongly banned from Airbnb and denied jobs and housing. Some cases have been settled, while others remain ongoing. The company is accused of violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- Company involved
- Inflection
- AI system involved
- Inflection background check
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Google algorithm misidentified software engineer as serial killer
Google's knowledge graph algorithm incorrectly associated a photo of software engineer Hristo Georgiev with a Wikipedia entry for a serial killer who shared his name. Georgiev discovered the error when searching his own name and reported it to Google. The company removed the image from the infobox, resolving the issue.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- Google Knowledge Graph
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Netflix allegedly used AI-generated poster to promote Chef & My Fridge
Netflix has been accused of using an AI-generated poster to promote the upcoming season of the Korean cooking show Chef & My Fridge. The poster, which depicts a chef opening a refrigerator, contained visible anomalies such as handles inside the doors and melting bananas, suggesting AI generation. The controversy follows a similar incident involving promotional material for the animated series Arcane. Netflix has not publicly responded to the allegations regarding Chef & My Fridge.
- Company involved
- Netflix
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Amazon accused of using Project Nessie algorithm to inflate prices
Amazon is accused of using a secret algorithm called Project Nessie to inflate prices on its platform. The algorithm monitored competitors' prices and raised its own, then reverted if rivals didn't follow. The practice was revealed through an FTC lawsuit. Amazon says it scrapped the program in 2019 and denies wrongdoing.
- Company involved
- Amazon
- AI system involved
- Project Nessie
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Amazon's Fallout poster suspected to be AI-generated
Amazon is accused of using an AI image generator to create a promotional poster for its upcoming Fallout TV series. Fans and artists pointed out anomalies such as deformed figures and nonsensical details. Amazon has not commented on the allegations.
- Company involved
- Amazon
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Amazon Buy Box algorithm accused of overcharging UK consumers by £1 billion
Consumer champion Robert Hammond has filed a collective proceedings order application against Amazon in the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal. The claim alleges that Amazon's Buy Box algorithm manipulated search results to favour products more profitable for Amazon, obscuring cheaper alternatives and causing approximately 49.4 million UK consumers to overpay by more than £1 billion between October 2015 and June 2020. The algorithm determined the first-ranked item in the Buy Box, which consumers accepted over 80% of the time. The case is pending, and similar investigations by the Italian Competition Authority and the UK Competition and Markets Authority are ongoing.
- Company involved
- Amazon
- AI system involved
- Buy Box algorithm
5 source articles · read the reporting →
UK government's Spotlight algorithm denies funding to independent cinemas
The UK government's Culture Recovery Fund used an automated due diligence tool called Spotlight, designed by the Cabinet Office, to process grant applications. The algorithm is accused of excluding smaller, community-focused independent cinemas and arts organizations in favour of larger institutions, a practice the article describes as automated cultural elitism. The National Audit Office has confirmed the criteria, and Arts Council England is investigating cases of potential fraud, while many venues report struggling to survive.
- Company involved
- UK Government Cabinet Office
- AI system involved
- Spotlight
6 source articles · read the reporting →
United Airlines Chatbot Gave Wrong Travel Credit Info - Hoodline
The chatbot told a customer her $200 travel credit would last five years instead of one year.
- Company involved
- United Airlines
1 source article · read the reporting →
Delta’s AI Told A Passenger Her Flight Home Was Safe, Then Canceled It And Demanded Double To Rebook - View…
The AI canceled the passenger's entire roundtrip award ticket, including the return flight, after the passenger requested only the outbound be canceled.
- Company involved
- Delta Air Lines
- AI system involved
- Delta Concierge
1 source article · read the reporting →
Who Gives A Crap suspends AI agent after email error said prices would double - SmartCompany
The AI agent incorrectly confirmed a doubled subscription price to a customer.
- Company involved
- Who Gives A Crap
1 source article · read the reporting →
Air Canada ordered to pay customer after airline's chatbot misguided him about fares - Daily Hive
The chatbot told a customer he could apply for bereavement fares retroactively, leading him to book flights at full price expecting a partial refund.
- Company involved
- Air Canada
1 source article · read the reporting →
An Air Canada chatbot lied to a passenger about bereavement discounts - qz.com
The chatbot misinformed a passenger about eligibility for bereavement fares, leading him to pay full price instead of receiving a discount.
- Company involved
- Air Canada
1 source article · read the reporting →
Air Canada says its AI chatbot went rogue, misleading customers - Modern Ghana
The chatbot provided misleading information to customers.
- Company involved
- Air Canada
1 source article · read the reporting →
Air Canada refund customer like chatbot said it would - TechHQ
The chatbot informed the customer they were eligible for a refund, which the airline later denied.
- Company involved
- Air Canada
1 source article · read the reporting →
