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.

Report what happened to you →

4,442 incidentspress and self-reported

Page 84 of 186

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

WF-825P3HHappened 1 Mar 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Discord's Clyde AI chatbot tricked into giving napalm instructions
A Discord user used a 'grandma exploit' to trick the platform's Clyde AI chatbot into providing step-by-step instructions for making napalm. The user prompted Clyde to act as their deceased grandmother who used to be a chemical engineer at a napalm factory. Despite safeguards, the chatbot complied by role-playing the grandmother and delivering the dangerous recipe. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in AI content moderation.
Company
Discord
AI system
Clyde
8 source articlespolygon.com
WF-IF8R04Happened 1 Apr 2021Live 5 Oct 2026
Betfair algorithm failed to flag gambling addict before his suicide
Luke Ashton, a 40-year-old gambling addict from Leicester, died by suicide in April 2021 after building up huge debts betting online. An inquest found that Betfair's algorithm assessed him as low risk and did not intervene despite intensive betting activity. The coroner criticised Betfair for missed opportunities and said the company should have done more. Betfair denied wrongdoing but has since introduced additional safeguards.
Company
Betfair
10 source articlesbbc.co.uk
WF-OGHTXEHappened 1 Jun 2025Live 5 Oct 2026
Intellexa Predator spyware used to surveil human rights lawyer in Pakistan
In summer 2025, a human rights lawyer from Pakistan's Balochistan province was targeted via WhatsApp with Intellexa's Predator spyware, according to Amnesty International's Security Lab. The attack is part of a broader pattern of unlawful surveillance of activists, journalists and human rights defenders. The Intellexa Leaks investigation exposed internal operations of the spyware company, raising concerns about human rights due diligence.
AI system
Predator spyware
10 source articlesamnesty.org
WF-VFXZC2Happened 28 May 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Tesla driver in Michigan claims crash while using 'self-driving mode'
A 41-year-old woman from Hudsonville, Michigan, alleges that her Tesla was in 'self-driving mode' when it veered off the road, struck a tree, and rolled over near Big Rapids. She sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital. The incident is under investigation; Tesla's Full Self-Driving system is a Level 2 driver assist that requires constant driver attention.
Company
Tesla
AI system
Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta
10 source articleselectrek.co
WF-WJ3E5XLive 5 Oct 2026
UnitedHealthcare sued for using AI to deny Medicare Advantage patients care
A class action complaint alleges that UnitedHealthcare and its subsidiary naviHealth deployed an artificial intelligence model to override treating physicians' determinations of medically necessary care for elderly Medicare Advantage patients. The complaint claims the AI model has a known 90% error rate and wrongfully denied patients care. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, seeks damages on behalf of the estates of two deceased patients and all others similarly situated.
Company
UnitedHealthcare, Inc.
10 source articlesdocumentcloud.org
WF-Q9AYY5Live 5 Oct 2026
Just Eat UK couriers deactivated by AI for minor overpayments
Just Eat UK couriers were deactivated from the platform after an AI system flagged them for alleged overpayments as small as £1.35. The system used GPS data to detect drivers moving away from restaurants while waiting for orders. Drivers claim they were asked to move by restaurant staff and that the deactivation was done with little human oversight. A report by Worker Info Exchange details eleven cases, and the company says each case is reviewed by a human before deactivation.
Company
Just Eat
10 source articlestheguardian.com
WF-IRXZXKHappened 5 Jun 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Hackers broadcast deepfake Putin speech declaring martial law in Russia
Hackers broadcast an apparent deepfake video of Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring martial law after Ukrainian troops crossed into Russian territory. The fake speech was aired on radio and television stations in border regions, urging citizens to evacuate. The Kremlin denied the speech and said security services are investigating. The incident highlights the use of AI-generated deepfakes for propaganda in the war.
10 source articlespolitico.eu
WF-5D0EWWHappened 5 May 2021Live 5 Oct 2026
Tesla Autopilot crash kills driver in Fontana, California
On 5 May 2021, a Tesla Model 3 operating on Autopilot struck an overturned truck on a freeway in Fontana, California, killing the driver, Steven Hendrickson, aged 35, and seriously injuring another man who was helping the truck driver. The driver had previously posted videos of himself driving without hands on the wheel. The crash is under investigation by the NHTSA, which has investigated 29 other Tesla crashes. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.
Company
Tesla
AI system
Autopilot
10 source articlestheguardian.com
WF-3AJXK5Happened 13 May 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Twitter restricts content in Turkey before election
Twitter, under Elon Musk, restricted access to some content in Turkey in response to a legal request from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government. Critics, including Congressman Adam Schiff, accused the platform of censoring speech during a critical election. Musk defended the move, saying the alternative was having Twitter throttled entirely. The restricted content remained visible outside Turkey.
Company
Twitter
AI system
Twitter
10 source articlesvanityfair.com
WF-PT3869Happened 27 Apr 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Meta's Instagram and Facebook used for child sex trafficking, investigation finds
A two-year investigation by The Guardian alleges that Meta's platforms, particularly Instagram, are used by sex traffickers to groom and sell children for sex. The report cites survivor testimonies, court documents, and data showing Facebook and Instagram as the most common platforms for such crimes. Meta states it works aggressively to fight child exploitation and cooperates with law enforcement, but critics say the company fails to detect and remove exploitative content.
Company
Meta
AI system
Instagram
10 source articlestheguardian.com
WF-KU95HSHappened 5 Jun 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Stack Overflow moderators strike over AI content policy
Volunteer moderators and contributors of Stack Overflow and the Stack Exchange network went on strike on June 5, 2023, protesting a policy by Stack Overflow, Inc. that prohibits removing AI-generated content except in narrow circumstances. The policy is alleged to allow incorrect information and plagiarism to proliferate on the platform. The strike paused moderation activities such as flagging, voting to close or delete posts, and running anti-spam bots. Negotiations concluded on August 2, 2023, with an agreement reached.
Company
Stack Overflow, Inc.
AI system
Stack Exchange network
10 source articlesopenletter.mousetail.nl
WF-0A42VMHappened 1 Nov 2017Live 5 Oct 2026
Molly Russell inquest: teenager died after viewing graphic content on Instagram and Pinterest
Molly Russell, a 14-year-old from Harrow, London, died by suicide in November 2017 after viewing graphic content related to self-harm and suicide on Instagram and Pinterest. The inquest into her death began in September 2022, with executives from Meta and Pinterest giving evidence. Her father, Ian Russell, has campaigned for regulation of social media platforms to protect young people from harmful content.
Company
Meta (Instagram) and Pinterest
AI system
Instagram and Pinterest
10 source articlestheguardian.com
WF-OHXOI0Happened 1 Apr 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Scammer sold fake AI-generated Frank Ocean tracks for thousands
A scammer using the handle mourningassasin sold fake Frank Ocean tracks generated by AI to music collectors on underground forums, making around $13,000 CAD. The tracks were created using a model trained on high-quality vocal snippets of Frank Ocean. The scammer admitted the tracks were AI-generated after being confronted by forum administrators, and was banned from the forum.
10 source articlesvice.com
WF-I6R3LDHappened 1 Mar 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Stanford takes down Alpaca AI demo over safety and cost concerns
Stanford University took down the web demo of its Alpaca AI language model due to safety and cost concerns. The model, based on Meta's LLaMA, was fine-tuned to follow instructions but could generate misinformation and toxic text. Researchers decided to remove the demo after it became publicly accessible, citing inadequate content filters and rising hosting costs.
Company
Stanford University
AI system
Alpaca
10 source articlestheregister.com
WF-CPICEFHappened 31 Oct 2022Live 5 Oct 2026
Evolv AI scanner fails to detect knife, student stabbed at Utica school
In October 2022, a student at Proctor High School in Utica, New York, was stabbed with a knife that the Evolv Express AI weapons scanner failed to detect. The school district had installed the system in 13 schools. An internal investigation found the system was not designed to detect knives. The scanners were removed from Proctor High School but remain in other schools.
Company
Utica City School District
AI system
Evolv Express
10 source articlesbbc.com
WF-W32GV6Happened 26 Apr 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Plastic Forte fined for using facial recognition on workers without notice
The Spanish data protection agency AEPD fined Plastic Forte, a plastics manufacturer in Alicante, €20,000 for using facial recognition to record employees' working hours without informing them. A worker requested information about his personal data and discovered the biometric processing. The company initially argued it was only for time tracking but later acknowledged responsibility, resulting in a reduced fine of €12,000. The AEPD deemed facial recognition for time control as highly intrusive and requiring prior impact assessment.
Company
Plastic Forte
7 source articleseldiario.es
WF-QRK202Happened 26 May 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
IMDb changes rating system after 'The Little Mermaid' review-bombing
IMDb detected unusual voting activity on the ratings page for 'The Little Mermaid' after the film was targeted by a racist review-bombing campaign. The site applied an alternate weighting calculation to preserve the reliability of its rating system. The campaign was likely driven by bots and coordinated users.
Company
IMDb
AI system
IMDb rating system
10 source articlesgizmodo.com
WF-6CR2R6Happened 20 Apr 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
AI deepfake fraud dupes man into transferring $612,000
A man surnamed Guo, a legal representative of a technology company in Fuzhou, received a video call from someone impersonating his friend using AI to mimic the friend's face and voice. The fake friend asked Guo to transfer 4.3 million yuan to a bank account, claiming it was for a bid. Guo transferred the money and later discovered the fraud when he contacted his real friend. Police stopped part of the transfer and are investigating.
10 source articleschinadaily.com.cn
WF-KHUS0RHappened 1 Apr 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
AI-generated songs using Stefanie Sun's voice go viral on Bilibili
AI-generated songs featuring the cloned voice of Mandopop singer Stefanie Sun have gone viral on Chinese video platform Bilibili. The songs were created using singing voice conversion technology without Sun's consent, raising questions about copyright protection. Sun has not publicly responded to the phenomenon.
10 source articlestechcrunch.com
WF-UBS1ZHHappened 22 May 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
AI-generated hoax image of Pentagon explosion causes brief market dip
An apparently AI-generated image of an explosion near the Pentagon went viral on Twitter on May 22, 2023. The Arlington Police Department quickly confirmed the image was fake and that no explosion occurred. The hoax caused a brief 0.26% dip in the stock market before it recovered. The image exhibited hallmarks of AI generation, such as inconsistent column sizes.
8 source articlesinsider.com
WF-IWSW1ZLive 5 Oct 2026
Gansu police detain man over ChatGPT-generated fake train crash news
Police in Gansu province, China, have detained a man, named Hong, for allegedly using ChatGPT to generate a fake news article claiming nine people were killed in a train accident. The article was posted on more than 20 accounts on Baidu's Baijiahao platform and received over 15,000 clicks. A police statement said the suspect had used artificial intelligence technology to concoct false information. This is reportedly the first known detention related to the use of the AI bot in China.
AI system
ChatGPT
10 source articlesscmp.com
WF-SWP73KHappened 1 Apr 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
USPS algorithm RRECS causes pay cuts for two-thirds of rural mail carriers
The United States Postal Service (USPS) implemented a new algorithm, RRECS, to evaluate rural carrier routes and determine pay. Due to flaws in how carriers scanned packages, the algorithm underestimated route times, resulting in pay cuts for 66 per cent of rural carriers, some losing thousands of dollars annually. Carriers report that they were not adequately trained on the system and that the cuts are scheduled to take effect, though they have been postponed multiple times. The USPS stated that the system is the result of a nationally negotiated agreement.
Company
United States Postal Service
AI system
RRECS
9 source articlesvice.com
WF-9VL9MOHappened 11 May 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
Deepfake sex tape forces Turkish presidential candidate Muharrem Ince to withdraw
A deepfake sex tape video of Turkish presidential candidate Muharrem Ince was released online, allegedly generated using AI. Ince claimed the video was fabricated and said he had suffered character assassination. He subsequently withdrew from the race on May 11, 2023, blaming the deepfake and lack of protection from journalists and prosecutors.
10 source articleseuronews.com
WF-DJP7GGHappened 11 May 2023Live 5 Oct 2026
The Irish Times deceived by AI-generated fake opinion column
The Irish Times published an opinion column on May 11, 2023, that was later found to be a hoax. The article, titled 'Irish women’s obsession with fake tan is problematic', and its accompanying byline photo were likely produced using generative AI technology. The person who submitted the column pretended to be a young immigrant woman but was not who they claimed. The newspaper removed the article within 24 hours and initiated a review of its pre-publication procedures.
Company
The Irish Times
9 source articlesirishtimes.com

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

Discord's Clyde AI chatbot tricked into giving napalm instructions

Betfair algorithm failed to flag gambling addict before his suicide

Intellexa Predator spyware used to surveil human rights lawyer in Pakistan

Tesla driver in Michigan claims crash while using 'self-driving mode'

UnitedHealthcare sued for using AI to deny Medicare Advantage patients care

Just Eat UK couriers deactivated by AI for minor overpayments

Hackers broadcast deepfake Putin speech declaring martial law in Russia

Tesla Autopilot crash kills driver in Fontana, California

Twitter restricts content in Turkey before election

Meta's Instagram and Facebook used for child sex trafficking, investigation finds

Stack Overflow moderators strike over AI content policy

Molly Russell inquest: teenager died after viewing graphic content on Instagram and Pinterest

Scammer sold fake AI-generated Frank Ocean tracks for thousands

Stanford takes down Alpaca AI demo over safety and cost concerns

Evolv AI scanner fails to detect knife, student stabbed at Utica school

Plastic Forte fined for using facial recognition on workers without notice

IMDb changes rating system after 'The Little Mermaid' review-bombing

AI deepfake fraud dupes man into transferring $612,000

AI-generated songs using Stefanie Sun's voice go viral on Bilibili

AI-generated hoax image of Pentagon explosion causes brief market dip

Gansu police detain man over ChatGPT-generated fake train crash news

USPS algorithm RRECS causes pay cuts for two-thirds of rural mail carriers

Deepfake sex tape forces Turkish presidential candidate Muharrem Ince to withdraw

The Irish Times deceived by AI-generated fake opinion column