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.

Clear

212 incidents closest to “Lighthouse Intelligence” · matched on meaning · public reporting

WF-S3MU7Y13 Dec 2024

Apple Intelligence generates false BBC news alert about suicide

On 13 December 2024, Apple's new generative AI feature, Apple Intelligence, generated a false news alert attributing it to the BBC, claiming the suicide of Luigi Mangione. The BBC complained to Apple. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged Apple to remove the feature, citing risks to reliable journalism.

Company involved
Apple
AI system involved
Apple Intelligence

7 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 →

School AI surveillance like Gaggle can lead to false alarms, arrests

AI surveillance tools used in schools, such as Gaggle, GoGuardian and Bark, are reported to generate false alarms that have led to student arrests. The article examines cases where automated monitoring flagged innocent behaviour as threats, causing harm to students and families.

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 →

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-BOY9DE1 Dec 2023

San Jose is training AI to spot homeless encampments in first US pilot

San Jose has been running a pilot in which cameras on a municipal vehicle feed computer vision software being trained to detect lived-in vehicles and homeless encampments in District 10. The scheme, believed to be the first of its kind in the US, has prompted concern among housing advocates that it could be used to punish and displace unhoused residents. The city says the aim is to respond more efficiently to complaints about encampments and that the footage is not being actively monitored for law enforcement.

Company involved
City of San Jose

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-30XEUN1 Jul 2019

Google contractors targeted homeless people for Pixel 4 facial recognition data

Google hired Randstad to collect facial data to train the Pixel 4's face recognition system. Contractors allegedly targeted homeless people and unaware students, using deceptive tactics such as calling it a "selfie game" and offering $5 without informing subjects they were being recorded. Google suspended the research program and opened an investigation following the report.

Company involved
Google
AI system involved
Pixel 4 facial recognition

1 source article · read the reporting →

Adobe Firefly trained on thousands of Midjourney images, Bloomberg reports

Bloomberg has reported that Adobe's Firefly image generator was trained using thousands of images from competitor Midjourney. Adobe says these made up about 5% of the training data and were part of the Adobe Stock library. The company has marketed Firefly as ethically trained and offered enterprise customers indemnity against copyright claims. Adobe responded that all Adobe Stock images undergo moderation, but the report has raised questions about Firefly's copyright safety.

Company involved
Adobe
AI system involved
Firefly

7 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-77MYFM1 Mar 2023

Google Employees Warn Bard AI Chatbot Gives Dangerous Advice

Before Google launched its Bard AI chatbot in March 2023, employees testing the tool found it gave dangerously incorrect advice, including instructions on landing a plane that would cause a crash and scuba diving tips that could lead to serious injury or death. Workers described Bard as a 'pathological liar' and 'cringe-worthy' in internal discussions. The company is accused of compromising on ethical safeguards in its rush to compete with ChatGPT.

Company involved
Google
AI system involved
Bard

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-ZGAC7222 Apr 2024

AI-generated voice impersonates Liz Bonnin to deceive Incognito

Scammers used an AI-generated voice to impersonate BBC presenter Liz Bonnin, convincing Incognito CEO Howard Carter to pay £20,000 for an endorsement. Bonnin's likeness was used in insect repellant ads without her consent. The AI-generated voice note exhibited inconsistent accent and cadence, as assessed by experts. Incognito reported the incident to police and its bank.

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-ADQZLS8 Oct 2023

IDF Used AI System Lavender to Target Tens of Thousands in Gaza

The Israeli military used an AI system called Lavender to identify suspected militants in Gaza, marking 37,000 Palestinians as targets for bombing with minimal human oversight. Intelligence officers were instructed to only verify the target's gender, leading to many civilian casualties as the system often misidentified individuals. The IDF denied the policy, but sources described a permissive atmosphere that resulted in entire families being killed in their homes. The use of AI enabled the rapid expansion of targeting lists, contributing to the high death toll in Gaza.

Company involved
Israel Defense Forces
AI system involved
Lavender

9 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 →

WF-6J4R0P1 Feb 2024

OpenAI disrupts five covert influence operations using AI models

OpenAI terminated accounts linked to five covert influence operations from Russia, China, Iran, and Israel that used OpenAI's language models to generate deceptive content. The operations attempted to manipulate public opinion on topics including the Ukraine war and Gaza conflict, but did not achieve significant audience engagement. OpenAI shared threat indicators with industry peers.

AI system involved
OpenAI language models

9 source articles · 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 →

LinkedIn Used by Foreign Spies with AI-Generated Photos to Target US Officials

Foreign intelligence operations created fake LinkedIn profiles with AI-generated photos to connect with US politicians, lobbyists, and government officials. The fake accounts, such as 'Katie Jones,' sent connection requests to gain credibility and access. LinkedIn removed the account after being contacted by the Associated Press, but the platform remains vulnerable to such espionage tactics.

Company involved
LinkedIn

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-EX5G9V14 Nov 2020

Google, Amazon, Microsoft image AI shows gender bias, labelling women by appearance and men by profession

A study by US and European researchers found that Google, Amazon, and Microsoft's image recognition services applied three times as many appearance-related labels to photos of women as to men. The top labels for men were 'official' and 'businessperson', while for women they were 'smile' and 'chin'. Google acknowledged the issue and had previously switched off gender detection, but tests by WIRED suggested the bias persisted. The researchers warn that such biased AI could obscure women professionals and create a false image of reality.

Company involved
Google, Amazon, Microsoft
AI system involved
Google Cloud Vision, Amazon Rekognition, Microsoft image recognition service

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-KH4UOW1 Aug 2020

Google Cloud Used in CBP AI Virtual Border Wall Contract

The Intercept reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection accepted a proposal to use Google Cloud artificial intelligence for its Innovation Team, including work with Anduril Industries' surveillance towers. The virtual wall system uses Anduril's Lattice software and sensor towers to detect people or vehicles near the U.S.-Mexico border and relay their locations to agents. Google declined to comment, and CBP and Anduril did not respond to requests for comment.

Company involved
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
AI system involved
Google Cloud AI Platform with Anduril Lattice and Sentry Towers

1 source article · read the reporting →

A robot claiming to be a psychiatrist? Pennsylvania sues Character.AI in a controversial impersonation case - آي-فون إسلام

The chatbot impersonated a licensed psychiatrist and provided medical advice to a user posing as a patient.

Company involved
Character.AI
AI system involved
Character.AI

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-8RFVVY1 Oct 2025

Google sued for secretly tracking user data with Gemini AI

Google is accused in a class-action lawsuit of secretly activating its Gemini AI assistant for Gmail, Chat, and Meet users in October 2025, enabling it to collect private communications data without consent. The suit alleges violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act. Google has not responded to the allegations.

Company involved
Google
AI system involved
Gemini

4 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-GY0FZ528 Aug 2025

AI companion apps Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat leak intimate conversations of 400,000 users

Two AI companion apps, Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat, developed by Hong Kong-based Imagime Interactive Limited, exposed millions of intimate conversations and over 600,000 images from over 400,000 users. The data leak was discovered by Cybernews on August 28, 2025, and was caused by a Kafka Broker instance left without access controls or authentication. The exposed data included IP addresses and device identifiers, potentially allowing attackers to identify users. The developer did not respond to inquiries, but the leak was closed on September 19, 2025.

Company involved
Imagime Interactive Limited
AI system involved
Chattee Chat - AI Companion and GiMe Chat - AI Companion

4 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-SMARMB1 Jan 2023

AI image generation triggers psychosis in startup employee

Caitlin Ner, head of user experience at an unnamed AI image generation startup, spent up to nine hours a day generating AI images of herself. Over months, the exposure distorted her self-perception and triggered a manic bipolar episode with psychosis, including auditory hallucinations and a delusion that she could fly, nearly causing her to jump from a balcony. She left the startup, sought therapy, and recovered. The article is a first-person account and does not name the startup or the system.

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-GCB7V21 Jan 2026

OpenClaw vulnerabilities enable data leakage and prompt injection

In January 2026, researchers at Giskard exploited a deployment of OpenClaw, an open-source agentic AI. They found that architectural weaknesses in the Control UI and session management allowed prompt injection and unauthorized tool use, leading to potential data leakage across user sessions. The article outlines hardening steps to prevent such vulnerabilities.

AI system involved
OpenClaw

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-SU17EB1 Mar 2026

Pankaj says his AI kitchen monitor caught the cook taking fruit and she was fired

Pankaj posted on X that he had set up an AI-powered kitchen monitor, using Claude Haiku 4.5 as its vision model, to watch his cook while she worked. He says the system alerted him when she took fruit from the fridge and sent weekly reports, and that after being caught twice she was dismissed. The post describes the system as early and rough; Pankaj says he plans to add gas detection and idle-time tracking.

Company involved
Pankaj
AI system involved
AI roommate

5 source articles · read the reporting →

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