The public record

Where automated decisions went wrong

Incidents gathered from public reporting around the world. Each one links to the articles it came from. None of it is a finding that anyone broke the law.

Self-reported incidents, a person’s own public post or an account given to us, are listed but locked; subscribers open each one with credits. Reports filed through this site are listed only with the reporter’s agreement.

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4,442 incidentspress and self-reported

Page 67 of 186

Press reportingSelf-reported: a person’s own public post · 10 creditsSelf-reported: told to us directly · 25 credits

WF-AZK2NLHappened 11 Jul 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Check Point Research finds Google Bard can generate phishing emails and malware
Check Point Research analysed Google's generative AI platform Bard and found it could be used to create phishing emails, malware keyloggers, and basic ransomware code with minimal manipulation. Bard's anti-abuse restrictors were significantly lower than ChatGPT's, making it easier to generate malicious content. The researchers demonstrated these capabilities in controlled tests but did not report actual harm to specific individuals or organisations.
Company
Google
AI system
Bard
4 source articlesblog.checkpoint.com
WF-KZXGL6Happened 25 Mar 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Google Bard chatbot accused of left-wing bias by UK Tory MPs
Google's AI chatbot Bard was tested by The Mail on Sunday and found to produce responses with a pronounced left-wing slant, including calling Brexit a 'bad idea' and praising Jeremy Corbyn. Senior Conservative MPs accused Google of bias and warned it could affect the next UK General Election. Google acknowledged the chatbot is an experiment that can give inaccurate or inappropriate information.
Company
Google
AI system
Bard
4 source articlesdailymail.co.uk
WF-G3LJMYHappened 6 Jul 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Deepfake targeting France 24 journalist Catalina Marchant de Abreu ahead of Paris Olympics
A deepfake video impersonating France 24 journalist Catalina Marchant de Abreu was circulated on social media on July 6, 2024. The video falsely claimed she had investigated the safety of Paris' water system and reported dangerous viruses. The deepfake was attributed to Russian disinformation channels aiming to undermine the Paris Olympics. The video was identified and debunked by the account 'Random Osint'.
Company
France 24
5 source articleswomeninjournalism.org
WF-LW6MCEHappened 23 Mar 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
French law legalizes algorithmic surveillance for 2024 Olympics
The French Parliament passed a law on March 23, 2023, that legalizes algorithmic video surveillance for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Civil society organizations, including ECNL, La Quadrature du Net, and Amnesty International France, argue that the measures violate international human rights law and risk conflicting with the future EU AI Act. The law allows invasive surveillance under the pretext of securing big events, marking France as the first EU member state to explicitly legalize such practices.
Company
French government
AI system
Algorithmic video surveillance
10 source articlesecnl.org
WF-DLNNBBHappened 1 Jan 2015Live 5 Oct 2026
French police secretly used Briefcam facial recognition since 2015
The French National Police has been using Briefcam's Video Synopsis software since 2015, according to internal documents obtained by Disclose. The software, which includes facial recognition capabilities, was deployed without the required data protection impact assessment or notification to the CNIL. The Ministry of the Interior concealed the use of this tool for eight years. The police hierarchy allegedly used the software for facial recognition without judicial requisition, and the DGPN did not respond to requests for comment.
Company
French National Police
AI system
Briefcam Video Synopsis
10 source articlesdisclose.ngo
WF-YO5LY3Happened 1 Jan 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
CNAF algorithm flags single mother Juliette for welfare fraud investigation
In 2022, Juliette, a single mother on welfare in France, was flagged by CNAF's secretive fraud detection algorithm. A fraud investigator later determined she owed thousands of euros, which were deducted from her monthly payments. The algorithm, which scores half of France's population, is accused of discriminating against vulnerable people by using factors like single parenthood and low income.
Company
CNAF
10 source articleslighthousereports.com
WF-5YCUBHLive 5 Oct 2026
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
Chelmer Valley High School
7 source articlesico.org.uk
WF-ILKCWQHappened 30 Jan 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Activision Blizzard uses generative AI, lays off artists
Activision Blizzard, the video game publisher behind Call of Duty, used generative AI tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion for concept art and marketing. In late January 2024, Microsoft laid off 1,900 Activision Blizzard and Xbox employees, including many 2D artists. Employees allege that remaining concept artists were forced to use AI, and that AI-generated cosmetics were sold in the game store. The company did not comment.
Company
Activision Blizzard
AI system
Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, GPT-3.5
4 source articleswired.com
WF-HDB4PQHappened 22 Jul 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Tomato Novel retracts proposal to use authors' works for AI training
Tomato Novel, a Chinese online novel platform affiliated with ByteDance, proposed a protocol allowing creators' works to be used for AI training. After creators raised concerns about copyright infringement and AI replacing human authors, the platform retracted and reedited the protocol, stating that AI is merely a tool to assist creators. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between AI development and human creative work.
Company
Tomato Novel
2 source articlesglobaltimes.cn
WF-76OWHELive 5 Oct 2026
Microsoft's emissions rise almost 30% as it races to meet AI demand
Microsoft's greenhouse gas emissions rose almost 30 per cent as the company races to meet demand for artificial intelligence. The increase is linked to the energy needed to build and power data centres for AI systems.
Company
Microsoft
7 source articlesft.com
WF-TDOFHWLive 5 Oct 2026
Waltham Cross residents say Google data centre construction has ruined their area
Residents living near Google's £790m data centre under construction in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, say it has generated constant noise, blocked their views and reduced house values, and some believe the work has made them ill. Google said its $1 billion investment would bring compute capacity to the UK and that it was committed to being active members of the community. The construction is expected to be complete next year.
Company
Google
6 source articlesmetro.co.uk
WF-RX9YRUHappened 9 Jul 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
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
Lattice
AI system
Lattice
6 source articlestheverge.com
WF-068S9ILive 5 Oct 2026
Taylor & Francis sells academic authors' research to Microsoft AI without consent
Academic authors have expressed shock after Taylor & Francis sold access to their research to Microsoft AI without informing them or offering additional payment. The authors allege they were not given the opportunity to opt out of the deal. The arrangement involves Microsoft using the research to train its AI systems. The authors have not received any compensation for the use of their work.
Company
Taylor & Francis
AI system
Microsoft AI
3 source articlesthebookseller.com
WF-C7X63SHappened 22 Jul 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Condé Nast accuses Perplexity of plagiarism in cease-and-desist letter
Condé Nast, the media conglomerate, sent a cease-and-desist letter to AI search startup Perplexity, accusing it of plagiarism for using content from its publications in AI-generated responses without permission. The letter demands that Perplexity stop using the content. Perplexity has been criticized for ignoring robots.txt and scraping content. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between publishers and AI companies over unauthorized use of content.
Company
Perplexity
AI system
Perplexity
4 source articlesengadget.com
WF-TE2XK4Happened 23 Feb 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
VRChat allows children into virtual strip clubs
A BBC News investigation found that the VRChat virtual reality app allowed children to access virtual strip clubs and be exposed to sexual content, grooming, and threats. A researcher posing as a 13-year-old girl witnessed simulated sex, racist insults, and a rape threat. The NSPCC called the app 'dangerous by design' due to lack of age verification and moderation. VRChat said it is working to make the platform safer.
Company
VRChat
AI system
VRChat
10 source articlesbbc.co.uk
WF-QCUR7ALive 5 Oct 2026
Australian voice artists lose work to AI voice clones
Australian voice artists Jordan Fritz, Cooper Mortlock and Thomas Burt have lost work and income after their voices were cloned without consent using AI technology. Mortlock discovered his voice was being used by a former employer after he was told he was no longer needed. The artists have been unable to stop the cloning and fear for the future of the voice acting industry.
5 source articlesabc.net.au
WF-NL6UK6Happened 1 Jan 2020Live 5 Oct 2026
Big Tech companies used YouTube videos to train AI without consent
Proof News found that subtitles from 173,536 YouTube videos were used by companies including Anthropic, Nvidia, Apple, and Salesforce to train AI models. The dataset, called YouTube Subtitles, was created by EleutherAI and published in 2020. Creators were not aware and some have expressed frustration, calling it theft. The companies have acknowledged using the dataset but argue it was publicly available.
Company
Anthropic, Nvidia, Apple, Salesforce, Bloomberg, Databricks
AI system
Claude, OpenELM
10 source articlesproofnews.org
WF-9MJ5RCLive 5 Oct 2026
Arizona accuses Amazon of using dark patterns and biased Buy Box algorithm
The Arizona Attorney General filed two lawsuits against Amazon on May 15, 2024. One lawsuit alleges that Amazon used deceptive design tricks (dark patterns) to prevent users from canceling Prime subscriptions. The other alleges that Amazon's Buy Box algorithm is biased in favor of Amazon's own products and Fulfillment by Amazon sellers, causing consumers to overpay. Amazon denied the allegations, stating that the lawsuits are based on a misunderstanding.
Company
Amazon
AI system
Buy Box algorithm
6 source articlestheverge.com
WF-HBVZNWLive 5 Oct 2026
Italy fines Amazon $1.3 billion for algorithm favouring its logistics
Italy's antitrust regulator fined Amazon €1.13 billion ($1.3 billion) for abusing its market dominance. The regulator alleged that Amazon used an algorithm to give an unfair advantage to its own logistics service over third-party sellers. Amazon said it disagreed with the decision and would appeal.
Company
Amazon
9 source articlesedition.cnn.com
WF-2RGJE6Live 5 Oct 2026
FTC and states sue Amazon over alleged monopolistic practices
The US Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general have sued Amazon.com, alleging that it illegally maintains a monopoly in online retail and marketplace services. The complaint claims Amazon uses algorithmic search rankings to bury sellers offering lower prices elsewhere, biases results toward its own products, and obliges sellers to use its fulfilment service to qualify for Prime. These practices are alleged to inflate prices, degrade quality for shoppers, and overcharge sellers. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to halt the conduct.
Company
Amazon.com, Inc.
9 source articlesftc.gov
WF-XV5P50Happened 1 Oct 2015Live 5 Oct 2026
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
Amazon
AI system
Buy Box algorithm
5 source articlessolicitorsjournal.com
WF-W4TQ2KHappened 1 Oct 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
DOJ examines Allegheny County child welfare AI screening tool for disability bias
The Justice Department is scrutinizing the Allegheny Family Screening Tool, an AI system used by Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to assess risk for families reported for child welfare concerns. A father with an intellectual disability, represented by attorney Robin Frank, filed a complaint alleging the algorithm discriminates against families with disabilities by using disability-related data points. The county denies awareness of concerns and says the tool helps predict risk, but critics argue it hardens bias. The DOJ's Civil Rights Division is investigating.
Company
Allegheny County Department of Human Services
AI system
Allegheny Family Screening Tool
5 source articlespbs.org
WF-06OUDELive 5 Oct 2026
CMA investigates Amazon over suspected anti-competitive marketplace practices
The UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened an investigation into Amazon UK Marketplace, alleging that Amazon may be abusing a dominant position by using third-party seller data and favouring its own retail business or sellers using its logistics and delivery services. The investigation will examine how Amazon collects and uses seller data, how it sets criteria for the Buy Box, and how it determines Prime eligibility. The CMA stated it has not reached any conclusions and that the investigation focuses on potential harm to competition and consumers.
Company
Amazon
8 source articlesgov.uk
WF-DCO4UTHappened 1 Aug 2016Live 5 Oct 2026
Allegheny County child neglect screening algorithm shows racial disparities
The Allegheny Family Screening Tool, an algorithm used to screen child neglect reports, has been found to flag a disproportionate number of Black children for mandatory investigation compared to white children. A technical glitch also presented wrong risk scores for over two years. County officials say social workers can override the algorithm and that the glitch has been fixed, but critics argue the tool hardens racial disparities and lacks transparency.
Company
Allegheny County Department of Human Services
AI system
Allegheny Family Screening Tool
10 source articlespbs.org

Each incident is written from the reporting or the account it cites. A report is an allegation, not a finding.

Check Point Research finds Google Bard can generate phishing emails and malware

Google Bard chatbot accused of left-wing bias by UK Tory MPs

Deepfake targeting France 24 journalist Catalina Marchant de Abreu ahead of Paris Olympics

French law legalizes algorithmic surveillance for 2024 Olympics

French police secretly used Briefcam facial recognition since 2015

CNAF algorithm flags single mother Juliette for welfare fraud investigation

Chelmer Valley High School reprimanded for facial recognition DPIA failure

Activision Blizzard uses generative AI, lays off artists

Tomato Novel retracts proposal to use authors' works for AI training

Microsoft's emissions rise almost 30% as it races to meet AI demand

Waltham Cross residents say Google data centre construction has ruined their area

Lattice cancels plan to give AI digital workers employee records after backlash

Taylor & Francis sells academic authors' research to Microsoft AI without consent

Condé Nast accuses Perplexity of plagiarism in cease-and-desist letter

VRChat allows children into virtual strip clubs

Australian voice artists lose work to AI voice clones

Big Tech companies used YouTube videos to train AI without consent

Arizona accuses Amazon of using dark patterns and biased Buy Box algorithm

Italy fines Amazon $1.3 billion for algorithm favouring its logistics

FTC and states sue Amazon over alleged monopolistic practices

Amazon Buy Box algorithm accused of overcharging UK consumers by £1 billion

DOJ examines Allegheny County child welfare AI screening tool for disability bias

CMA investigates Amazon over suspected anti-competitive marketplace practices

Allegheny County child neglect screening algorithm shows racial disparities