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 75 of 186

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

WF-BRFSWBHappened 1 Feb 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Audiobook narrators fear Apple used their voices to train AI without consent
Audiobook narrators and authors were outraged after discovering that a clause in contracts with distributor Findaway Voices gave Apple the right to use audiobook files for machine learning training. Many narrators were not clearly informed of the clause and feared their voices were used to develop Apple's synthetic voice technology for audiobooks. After the labor union SAG-AFTRA intervened, Apple and Findaway agreed to halt the practice for union members, but the issue remains unresolved for others.
Company
Apple
5 source articleswired.com
WF-THFCUPHappened 4 Dec 2015Live 5 Oct 2026
Security flaws found in Mattel's Hello Barbie doll
Security researchers discovered vulnerabilities in Mattel's Hello Barbie doll that could allow hackers to access recordings of children's conversations. The flaws were found in the companion app and cloud server. ToyTalk, the software maker, is patching the issues. No actual hacks have been reported.
Company
Mattel
AI system
Hello Barbie
7 source articlescnet.com
WF-06AESOHappened 11 Nov 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
Air Canada liable for chatbot's misleading bereavement advice
Air Canada was found liable by the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal for misleading advice given by its website chatbot. The chatbot told a passenger they could retroactively claim a bereavement rate, but the airline later denied the claim. The tribunal ordered Air Canada to pay $812 in compensation, noting the airline's argument that the chatbot was a separate legal entity was 'remarkable'.
Company
Air Canada
AI system
Air Canada chatbot
6 source articlescbc.ca
WF-TT1WECHappened 30 Sep 2020Live 5 Oct 2026
UIUC students petition to stop Proctorio exam proctoring over privacy concerns
A petition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) alleges that Proctorio, an online exam proctoring system, violates student privacy by accessing websites, downloads, screen content, and app settings. The petition claims the terms of service allow monitoring by 'any other means necessary', which students find unsettling. The petition, created on September 30, 2020, gathered 1,087 supporters but does not report any specific incident of harm. It calls on UIUC to discontinue use of Proctorio in favour of alternatives.
Company
UIUC
AI system
Proctorio
9 source articleschange.org
WF-4XC9BKLive 5 Oct 2026
Voice actor Greg Marston alleges IBM cloned his voice without permission
Voice actor Greg Marston alleges that IBM used voice recordings he made for them 20 years ago to create an AI clone of his voice without his consent. The clone is being sold by a third party under the name 'Conor', and Marston says he is now competing with it for work. IBM has acknowledged the complaint and claims it obtained the rights from the original agreement. Marston is sending a take-down notice to stop the use.
Company
IBM
7 source articlesabc.net.au
WF-QKGYYSHappened 5 Feb 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Philadelphia Sheriff's campaign admits AI-generated fake news headlines
The reelection campaign of Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal posted 31 fabricated news articles on its website, attributing them to local news outlets. The campaign acknowledged that an outside consultant used ChatGPT to generate the fake headlines, which were based on talking points provided by the campaign. The articles were removed after an Inquirer investigation raised questions about their authenticity.
Company
Friends of Rochelle Bilal
AI system
ChatGPT
8 source articlesinquirer.com
WF-23YPHUHappened 1 Jan 2018Live 5 Oct 2026
SEC charges American Bitcoin Academy over $1.2M AI scam
Brian Sewell, through his company American Bitcoin Academy, allegedly defrauded 15 students of $1.2 million by claiming his Rockwell Fund would use AI to generate high returns. The SEC charged that Sewell never launched the fund and lost the investors' money when his Bitcoin wallet was hacked. The case was settled with Sewell agreeing to pay $1.6 million in disgorgement and a $233,229 penalty.
Company
American Bitcoin Academy
6 source articlescoingeek.com
WF-3R4BF3Happened 8 Feb 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Amazon faces class action over allegedly rigged buying algorithms
Two consumers filed a proposed class action against Amazon in Washington federal court, alleging that the company rigged its algorithms to boost sales of its own retail business and third-party sellers using its fulfillment service. The plaintiffs claim that hundreds of millions of customers have overpaid for items as a result. The lawsuit is pending.
Company
Amazon.com Inc.
AI system
Amazon's buying features
6 source articleslaw360.com
WF-LTXZ3FHappened 11 Jun 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
Google engineer claims LaMDA AI is sentient
Google engineer Blake Lemoine claimed that the company's LaMDA chatbot AI had become sentient. He based this on conversations with the system. Google placed him on paid leave and denied the claim. No harm to users was reported.
Company
Google
AI system
LaMDA
10 source articleswashingtonpost.com
WF-S4C1Q6Happened 10 Feb 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
AI-generated books with false claims about King Charles' cancer sold on Amazon
AI-generated books containing false claims about King Charles' cancer diagnosis were offered for sale on Amazon. The books made intrusive and inaccurate statements about the King's health. Buckingham Palace threatened legal action and called for the books to be withdrawn. Amazon removed the titles that violated its guidelines.
Company
Amazon
5 source articleslbc.co.uk
WF-3XBQHGHappened 1 Sep 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
UK schools install toilet sensors that listen for keywords to monitor pupils
Several UK schools, including St Joseph's College in Stoke-on-Trent, have installed Halo Smart Sensors in toilets that use machine learning to detect keywords such as 'help me' and 'stop it'. The sensors trigger alerts to staff when keywords are detected, aiming to crack down on vaping and bullying. Privacy advocates argue the sensors violate children's privacy and may be unlawful. The schools have not sought parental consent for the monitoring.
Company
St Joseph's College
AI system
Halo Smart Sensors
4 source articlesschoolsweek.co.uk
WF-M2XTC0Live 5 Oct 2026
Amazon France fined €32m for illegal worker surveillance
Amazon France Logistique was fined €32m (£27m) by France's data protection authority, the CNIL, for illegally monitoring warehouse workers through handheld scanners. The system tracked scanning speed, break durations, and stored data for 31 days, leading to workers potentially having to justify every brief interruption. The CNIL found the surveillance to be excessive and in breach of GDPR. Amazon disputes the findings and stated it may appeal.
Company
Amazon France Logistique
AI system
handheld scanner monitoring system
9 source articlesbbc.co.uk
WF-NTWIEEHappened 6 Feb 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
New York lawyer faces discipline for citing ChatGPT-fabricated case in appeal
New York attorney Jae Lee cited a fabricated case in an appeal to revive a client's medical malpractice lawsuit against a Queens doctor. The case was suggested by ChatGPT and did not exist. The court dismissed the case and referred Lee to the grievance panel for further investigation. Lee stated there was no bad faith, but the court found her conduct fell below basic obligations of counsel.
Company
JSL Law Offices
AI system
ChatGPT
5 source articlesdailymail.co.uk
WF-Y9VCF9Happened 2 Feb 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
NYPD Ends Times Square Subway Robot Pilot Program
The New York Police Department ended its pilot program for a Knightscope K5 robot that patrolled the Times Square subway station. The robot, equipped with cameras sending real-time footage to NYPD, was removed due to its general uselessness. The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) welcomed its removal and criticized the expense and privacy implications.
Company
NYPD
AI system
Knightscope K5
10 source articlesmailchi.mp
WF-8X0IOWHappened 30 Sep 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
Family sues Google after man dies driving off collapsed bridge while following Maps directions
In September 2022, Philip Paxson, a medical device salesman from North Carolina, died when his Jeep plunged into a creek after Google Maps directed him to cross a bridge that had been collapsed for nine years and never repaired. His family filed a negligence lawsuit against Google in September 2023, alleging that the company was informed of the collapse but failed to update its navigation system. The lawsuit claims Google's failure led to his death.
Company
Google
AI system
Google Maps
8 source articlesthestar.com.my
WF-EWYDQDLive 5 Oct 2026
Couple sues Google Maps after routing leads to gunpoint attack in South Africa
Jason and Katharine Zoladz allege that Google Maps directed them through the Nyanga neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa, a dangerous area known as 'Hell Run.' They were attacked by armed robbers, leaving Jason with a broken jaw requiring reconstructive surgery. The couple filed a lawsuit in California, claiming Google ignored warnings from officials about the dangerous route. Google has since changed the routing but denies liability.
Company
Google LLC
AI system
Google Maps
6 source articlesnypost.com
WF-V1TSIXHappened 11 Mar 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Bots and short sellers spread misinformation to trigger First Republic Bank run
A report by Valent Technologies alleges that AI-powered bots and fake accounts spread misinformation about First Republic Bank in March 2023, coinciding with a $100 billion deposit withdrawal and the bank's collapse. The report suggests short sellers likely orchestrated the bots to drive down the share price. Federal regulators closed the bank and sold its assets to J.P. Morgan, and the bank's former CEO attributed the collapse to 'contamination' by anxiety.
2 source articlesdailymail.co.uk
WF-Y7PFHYHappened 1 Jan 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Wacom responds to concerns about AI-generated images in marketing assets
Wacom acknowledged that it may have used AI-generated images in US marketing assets for the New Year. The company stated it purchased the images from a third-party vendor who indicated they were not AI-generated, and that it vetted them using online tools that also indicated they were not AI-generated. After community feedback raised doubts, Wacom discontinued the images and is reviewing its processes to prevent recurrence. The company attributed the incident to misleading vendor information and detection tool limitations.
Company
Wacom
10 source articlescommunity.wacom.com
WF-47L7QKHappened 1 Jan 2021Live 5 Oct 2026
Telangana algorithm denied food to thousands of poor families
The Telangana government's algorithmic system Samagra Vedika wrongfully denied subsidised food to thousands of poor families by incorrectly tagging them as ineligible. The system, developed by Posidex Technologies, misidentified individuals across databases, leading to false positives. Affected families, including 67-year-old widow Bismillah Bee, were forced to prove their eligibility, often unsuccessfully. A Supreme Court case ordered re-verification, but many remain excluded.
Company
Government of Telangana
AI system
Samagra Vedika
8 source articlesaljazeera.com
WF-MQA6MWHappened 1 Mar 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
Haryana government's algorithm wrongly declares thousands dead, stops pensions
The Haryana state government's Family Identity Data Repository (PPP) algorithm wrongly declared thousands of elderly and widowed citizens as dead, stopping their pensions. Dhuli Chand, a 102-year-old man, had to stage a mock wedding procession to prove he was alive after his pension was cut for six months. The government acknowledged the errors and corrected some records, but many still face difficulties.
Company
Haryana state government
AI system
Family Identity Data Repository (Parivar Pehchan Patra or PPP)
6 source articlesaljazeera.com
WF-STQ5PSLive 5 Oct 2026
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
Cruise
AI system
Cruise AV
9 source articlesnews.ycombinator.com
WF-BS7IIMHappened 24 Jan 2024Live 5 Oct 2026
Microsoft AI tools generate explicit Taylor Swift images on Twitter
Sexually explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift went viral on Twitter after being created using Microsoft's text-to-image AI generator. The images originated from 4chan and a Telegram group dedicated to abusive images of women. Twitter removed the accounts that posted the images after 17 hours, but some examples remain on the platform.
Company
Microsoft
AI system
Microsoft text-to-image AI generator
10 source articles404media.co
WF-E2PPDQLive 5 Oct 2026
N-Tech.lab's FindFace used to identify St Petersburg metro passengers without consent
Egor Tsvetkov photographed passengers on the St Petersburg metro without their permission and used N-Tech.lab's facial recognition service FindFace to match their faces to public Vkontakte profiles. He published the results in an art project called 'Your Face is Big Data', saying he wanted to show how 'digital narcissism' can lead to stalking. Privacy advocates said the project was ethically problematic because the subjects had not consented and their identities were exposed. FindFace had been launched by N-Tech.lab in February 2016.
Company
N-Tech.lab
AI system
FindFace
8 source articlesadvox.globalvoices.org
WF-GPAZQZLive 5 Oct 2026
Five Illinois residents sue facial recognition company Pimeyes under BIPA
Five Illinois residents are suing Pimeyes, a facial recognition search engine, alleging that the company violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act by collecting and using their facial data without consent. The lawsuit claims that Pimeyes made the residents' photos and information available in search results, enabling unauthorized access. The company has not yet been served with the lawsuit, and its CEO stated he had no prior knowledge of the case.
Company
Pimeyes
AI system
Pimeyes
7 source articlesbusinessinsider.com

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

Audiobook narrators fear Apple used their voices to train AI without consent

Security flaws found in Mattel's Hello Barbie doll

Air Canada liable for chatbot's misleading bereavement advice

UIUC students petition to stop Proctorio exam proctoring over privacy concerns

Voice actor Greg Marston alleges IBM cloned his voice without permission

Philadelphia Sheriff's campaign admits AI-generated fake news headlines

SEC charges American Bitcoin Academy over $1.2M AI scam

Amazon faces class action over allegedly rigged buying algorithms

Google engineer claims LaMDA AI is sentient

AI-generated books with false claims about King Charles' cancer sold on Amazon

UK schools install toilet sensors that listen for keywords to monitor pupils

Amazon France fined €32m for illegal worker surveillance

New York lawyer faces discipline for citing ChatGPT-fabricated case in appeal

NYPD Ends Times Square Subway Robot Pilot Program

Family sues Google after man dies driving off collapsed bridge while following Maps directions

Couple sues Google Maps after routing leads to gunpoint attack in South Africa

Bots and short sellers spread misinformation to trigger First Republic Bank run

Wacom responds to concerns about AI-generated images in marketing assets

Telangana algorithm denied food to thousands of poor families

Haryana government's algorithm wrongly declares thousands dead, stops pensions

Cruise alleged to rely on human operators for autonomous driving

Microsoft AI tools generate explicit Taylor Swift images on Twitter

N-Tech.lab's FindFace used to identify St Petersburg metro passengers without consent

Five Illinois residents sue facial recognition company Pimeyes under BIPA