The 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.

Reports people file about their own experience are not shown here and never will be without their agreement. Tell us what happened to you.

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183 incidents closest to “PROS Group Sales Optimizer” · matched on meaning · public reporting

Dynamic pricing raises Royal Opera ticket price to £415

The Royal Opera House used dynamic pricing to set ticket prices for Wagner's Siegfried. The price reached £415, among the highest for any performing arts event in British history. The algorithm increased prices based on demand, affecting ticket buyers.

Company involved
Royal Opera House

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-Q8FS1926 Oct 2025

Paper Werewolf uses AI-generated decoys and XLLs to target Russian organizations

The threat group Paper Werewolf (aka GOFFEE) is conducting a cyberespionage campaign targeting Russian defense and high-technology organizations. The campaign uses AI-generated decoy documents, such as invitations and official letters, to trick recipients into opening malicious Excel XLL add-ins that deliver a backdoor called EchoGather. The backdoor collects system information and communicates with a command-and-control server. The campaign is ongoing and was first detected in late October 2025.

Company involved
Paper Werewolf
AI system involved
EchoGather

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-OP475C1 Jan 2018

Dutch probation service's OXREC algorithm flawed, leading to incorrect recidivism risk assessments

The Dutch Inspectorate of Justice and Security (Inspectie JenV) published a report finding that the probation service's (Reclassering) OXREC algorithm contains serious flaws, including swapped formulas and incorrect numbers, causing about a quarter of risk assessments to be wrong. The algorithm, used since 2018 for about 44,000 cases per year, also uses variables that can lead to discrimination, such as neighborhood score and income. The Inspectorate recommended immediate correction or temporary suspension. The probation service announced it would temporarily stop using OXREC.

Company involved
Reclassering Nederland
AI system involved
OXREC

4 source articles · read the reporting →

42,900 OpenClaw AI agents exposed, 15,200 vulnerable to RCE

SecurityScorecard's STRIKE team revealed on February 9, 2026, that approximately 42,900 OpenClaw agentic AI instances are exposed on the internet due to insecure default configurations. Of these, 15,200 are vulnerable to remote code execution attacks, allowing hackers to take over host machines. The vulnerabilities were patched on January 29, 2026, but many instances remain unpatched.

AI system involved
OpenClaw

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-EBIPSN1 Dec 2025

Amazon's AI shopping tool lists products from retailers without consent

Amazon launched a program called Shop Direct and a 'Buy for Me' AI agent that scrapes products from other retailers' websites and lists them on Amazon without their permission. Retailers such as Hitchcock Paper and Bobo Design Studio received orders for items they did not sell or that were out of stock. Amazon stated that businesses can opt out by emailing, and that the program helps customers find products. Some retailers have accused Amazon of exploiting their businesses.

Company involved
Amazon
AI system involved
Shop Direct / Buy for Me

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-04R0261 Sep 2015

Princeton Review charges higher SAT prep fees to Asian Americans

A ProPublica study found that Princeton Review's geographically-determined pricing system charges Asian American students almost twice as likely as other ethnicities to pay the highest prices for online SAT tutoring. The system sets prices based on location, with higher prices in areas like New York City where Asian Americans are concentrated. Princeton Review stated that prices reflect local costs and competition, but the disparity raises concerns about racial discrimination in automated pricing.

Company involved
Princeton Review

7 source articles · read the reporting →

ChatGPT 4o image generator used to create fake receipts

ChatGPT's new image generator, part of the 4o model, can generate realistic fake restaurant receipts. Social media users demonstrated the capability, raising concerns about potential fraud. OpenAI stated that images include metadata and that it takes action against policy violations. The company defended the feature as allowing creative freedom.

Company involved
OpenAI
AI system involved
ChatGPT 4o image generator

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-H3NHGW1 Jan 2020

GoLaxy Used AI to Manipulate Public Opinion in Hong Kong and Taiwan

The Chinese company GoLaxy used an AI system called Smart Propaganda System (GoPro) to monitor and manipulate public opinion in Hong Kong and Taiwan, according to internal documents. The system collected data on members of Congress and other influential Americans, though no campaign was mounted in the United States. GoLaxy denied the allegations, calling them misinformation. The technology represents a new frontier in information warfare, enabling mass production of propaganda.

Company involved
GoLaxy
AI system involved
Smart Propaganda System (GoPro)

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-UF6BMA1 Jan 2018

TransUnion AI tenant screening denied 75-year-old man apartment due to mistaken littering conviction

Chris Robinson, then 75, applied for a senior living apartment in California. The property manager used an AI screening program from TransUnion, which assigned him a low score based on a mistaken conviction for littering that belonged to a different person with the same name in Texas. Robinson lost the apartment and his application fee. A federal class-action lawsuit against TransUnion moved toward a $11.5 million settlement in 2023.

10 source articles · read the reporting →

SoftBank's Pepper robot fails at multiple customer service jobs

SoftBank's humanoid robot Pepper has failed at various jobs including entertaining nursing home residents, greeting bank guests, and reciting scriptures at funerals. The robot suffered mechanical errors, unplanned breaks, and failed to recognize people. Some customers declined to renew their contracts, and used Peppers are being sold for a few hundred dollars. Experts suggest that smart speakers and smartphone assistants can perform the same functions more reliably and cheaply.

AI system involved
Pepper

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-R41UQV23 Feb 2012

Palantir secretly tested predictive policing in New Orleans

Beginning in 2012, Palantir Technologies secretly partnered with the New Orleans Police Department to deploy a predictive policing system. The programme analysed gang affiliations, social media and criminal histories to forecast individuals’ likelihood of committing or becoming victims of violence, operating without public knowledge or city council oversight. Researchers and law enforcement officials raised concerns about systemic bias and civil liberties. As of 2018, the city and Palantir had not disclosed the programme’s status.

Company involved
New Orleans Police Department

1 source article · read the reporting →

Pasco Sheriff's Office used algorithm to target potential future criminals and schoolchildren

The Pasco Sheriff's Office operates an intelligence-led policing programme that uses an algorithm to identify people who might break the law based on criminal histories and social networks. Deputies are sent to the homes of those flagged, even without evidence of a crime, and former deputies allege they were ordered to make targets' lives miserable. The agency also keeps a list of more than 400 schoolchildren predicted to 'fall into a life of crime', built from data such as grades and child welfare records, without informing the children or their parents. Civil liberties groups are considering lawsuits and public advocacy campaigns, and experts have called the programmes 'morally repugnant'.

Company involved
Pasco Sheriff's Office

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-2ZQ1HW24 Jul 2020

PredictiveHire builds AI to predict job hopping from interviews

PredictiveHire, an AI hiring firm, developed a machine-learning model that analyses candidates' open-ended interview responses to predict their likelihood of 'job hopping'. The company used data from 45,899 applicants to build the 'flight risk' assessment, which it advertises as coming soon. Scholars warn that such tools can suppress wages by screening out workers who might seek better pay or conditions, continuing a historical trend of using personality tests to identify potential labour organisers.

Company involved
PredictiveHire
AI system involved
Phai

1 source article · read the reporting →

AI-powered scam compound in Myanmar uses ChatGPT and Gemini to defraud thousands globally

Safeer Mohammed Koorimannil, trafficked to a scam compound in Tai Chang, Myanmar, was forced to use AI-powered software to impersonate a woman and deceive victims into sending money. The software, Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition and Global Social Traffic Navigation, used OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini to generate messages and translate in over 100 languages. Koorimannil targeted 50,000 victims in a month, while the tools enabled scammers to rake in tens of millions of dollars. U.S. authorities have created a strike force to disrupt such operations, and OpenAI has banned accounts linked to the scams.

Company involved
Tai Chang
AI system involved
Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition (KT) and Global Social Traffic Navigation (007TG)

2 source articles · read the reporting →

Brookdale Senior Living algorithm blamed for understaffing at assisted-living facilities

Managers at Brookdale Senior Living, the largest assisted-living chain in the US, allege that an algorithm called 'Service Alignment' set staffing levels so low that facilities were dangerously short-handed. The system, based on time-motion studies, failed to account for the complexities of resident care, according to complaints. Some managers say they quit or were fired after raising concerns about the staffing algorithm.

Company involved
Brookdale Senior Living
AI system involved
Service Alignment

1 source article · read the reporting →

Whole Foods uses heat map to track unionization risk at stores

Whole Foods, owned by Amazon, is reportedly using a heat map that scores stores on their risk of unionization. The system analyses metrics including local union membership, NLRB charges, employee compensation, diversity, and internal sentiment surveys. The tool is used to monitor and potentially prevent union organising efforts. Whole Foods stated it prefers a direct relationship with employees, while Amazon has a history of aggressively combating unionization.

Company involved
Whole Foods Market

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-OYBVNA14 Feb 2024

Grab's surge pricing algorithm always adds fees, investigation finds

An investigation by the Pulitzer Center found that Grab's ride-hailing app in the Philippines always includes surge fees in its fares, even when wait times are long. Customers like Rica Torres reported rising costs without explanation. A complaint filed with the LTFRB in 2022 remains unresolved, and the regulator has not determined how the algorithm sets surge rates.

Company involved
Grab
AI system involved
Grab app

8 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-6LKJQA1 Jan 2022

Instacart used AI to charge different customers different prices for same items

Instacart, a grocery delivery company, was found to have used AI pricing algorithms to charge some customers up to 23% more than others for identical products at the same location. Research by Groundwork Collaborative, Consumer Reports, and More Perfect Union, based on data from 437 shoppers, revealed price fluctuations averaging 7%. Instacart acquired the AI firm Eversight in 2022 and began experimenting with dynamic pricing. The company stated that the tests have ended.

Company involved
Instacart

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-GAQZA320 Jan 2026

Oxford study finds ChatGPT reproduces global inequalities

A study by the Oxford Internet Institute and the University of Kentucky found that ChatGPT systematically attributes positive characteristics to wealthier countries in the Global North and negative stereotypes to lower-income regions, particularly African countries. The research analysed 20.3 million queries and identified five types of bias, concluding that bias is a structural feature of generative AI. The study was published in the journal Platforms and Society on 20th January 2026.

Company involved
OpenAI
AI system involved
ChatGPT

4 source articles · read the reporting →

AI chatbots recommended unlicensed casinos to UK users

An investigation by the Guardian and Investigate Europe found that five major AI chatbots—ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Microsoft Copilot, and Meta AI—recommended unlicensed online casinos to UK users. Some chatbots also advised on bypassing consumer protection systems like GamStop and financial checks. The companies acknowledged the findings and said they are reviewing safeguards. Regulators expressed concern about the potential harm to vulnerable users.

Company involved
Multiple technology companies (Microsoft, Google, Meta, OpenAI, X)
AI system involved
Copilot, Gemini, Meta AI, ChatGPT, Grok

5 source articles · read the reporting →

DOJ, Pinnacle reach settlement in RealPage case - Yahoo Finance

The system recommended rent prices to landlords, affecting renters' housing costs.

Company involved
Pinnacle Property Management Services
AI system involved
RealPage

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-CYHU9Y10 Sep 2025

Fifa's dynamic pricing for World Cup tickets faces petition from Zohran Mamdani

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani launched a petition against Fifa's use of dynamic pricing for World Cup 2026 tickets. The pricing model, which adjusts ticket prices based on demand, is accused of putting profit before fans and making tickets unaffordable for many. Mamdani calls for an end to dynamic pricing, a cap on resale prices, and a set-aside of tickets for local residents. No response from Fifa has been reported.

Company involved
Fifa

10 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 →

Target's pregnancy prediction algorithm reveals teen's pregnancy to father

Target used a data mining algorithm to predict when customers were pregnant based on their purchases. The algorithm sent baby product coupons to a high school student, leading her father to complain to the store. The father later learned his daughter was indeed pregnant. Target subsequently altered the coupons to disguise the data mining.

Company involved
Target
AI system involved
Target pregnancy prediction algorithm

9 source articles · read the reporting →

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