OpenAI Relied on Low-Paid Kenyan Workers to Filter Traumatic Content for ChatGPT
OpenAI contracted Sama, a data labeling company, to employ Kenyan workers to review and label graphic text depicting child sexual abuse, murder, and other traumatic content. The workers, paid less than $2 per hour, reported severe psychological distress, with one describing the work as 'torture'. Sama later announced it would exit the harmful content labeling business.
- Company involved
- Sama
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Italian bank (Fideuram / Intesa Sanpaolo) loses about 95 million euro to AI voice-clone scam
The AI-generated voice deceived the chairman into authorizing transfers of about 95 million euros.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Meta accused of exploiting content moderators in Ghana
Meta moved its Facebook content moderation operations to Ghana after laying off moderators in Kenya. Workers in Accra report poor working conditions, low pay, and psychological harm from reviewing traumatic content. Foxglove is investigating and planning a legal challenge.
- Company involved
- Meta
- AI system involved
- Facebook content moderation system
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Overnight, Meta deleted all her accounts. AI customer service won’t let her reach a human - CBC
Meta's AI moderation permanently disabled Jasmine Ault's Facebook and Instagram accounts, and AI customer service chatbots denied her appeal without human review.
- Company involved
- Meta
1 source article · read the reporting →
What the McDonald’s AI failure reveals about AI agent mistakes - cio.com
The system took and processed customer food orders at the drive-thru, resulting in incorrect orders for some customers.
- Company involved
- McDonald’s
1 source article · read the reporting →
Spinvox accused of using human transcribers for voice messages
Spinvox, a UK voice-to-text firm, is accused of using call centre staff in South Africa and the Philippines to transcribe the majority of user messages, contrary to claims of automated speech recognition. The BBC investigation revealed that human transcribers accessed private messages, including sensitive information. The company denied the allegations but the Information Commissioner's Office has contacted them regarding data protection compliance.
- Company involved
- Spinvox
- AI system involved
- D2 (the Brain)
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Indore Play School Owner Loses Savings in AI Voice Cloning Fraud
A middle-aged woman in Indore, India, lost her entire savings of Rs 97,500 after a fraudster used AI voice cloning to impersonate her cousin, a police officer. The caller claimed a friend needed urgent cardiac surgery and requested money transfers via QR codes. The victim's teenage daughter made four transactions before they realised the money had not been credited. Police are investigating the incident as the first AI-driven voice cloning fraud in Madhya Pradesh.
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Scammer Uses AI Voice to Impersonate MSNBC's Ari Melber, Defrauds Elderly Woman of $20,000
A 73-year-old woman in Washington state was defrauded of at least $20,000 by a scammer posing as MSNBC host Ari Melber. The scammer used AI-generated voice messages to convince Patricia Taylor they were in a romantic relationship, and she boarded a plane to New York to meet him. Her family intercepted her during a layover in Portland, fearing she would have been kidnapped. Police are investigating, and MSNBC confirmed the real Ari Melber was not involved.
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Bengaluru woman loses Rs 35 lakh in AI deepfake trading scam
A 79-year-old woman in Bengaluru was defrauded of nearly Rs 35 lakh by scammers operating a fake AI trading platform. The fraudsters used deepfake videos of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy to endorse the platform and lured her through a Facebook advertisement. Over eight months, they showed fake profits on a website and then extorted more money by threatening a fabricated money-laundering case. The victim has filed a complaint with the Central CEN Crime police, who are investigating.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Engineer.ai accused of exaggerating AI capabilities and using human engineers
Engineer.ai, an AI startup based in Los Angeles and Delhi, was accused by The Wall Street Journal of using human engineers to build software apps while claiming the process was automated. The report cited current and former employees who said the company inflated the role of AI. Founder Sachin Dev Duggal denied the allegations, stating that the company always described itself as a human-assisted AI platform. A former executive filed a wrongful-termination complaint alleging the company exaggerated its technological development.
- Company involved
- Engineer.ai
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Commonwealth Bank worker made redundant after unknowingly training AI chatbot to replace her
Kathryn Sullivan, a 63-year-old Commonwealth Bank teller, was made redundant in July 2025 after spending years training the bank's 'Bumblebee' chatbot to respond to customers. She was unaware that she was helping the AI replace her own role. Sullivan confronted CEO Matt Comyn at the bank's AGM in Brisbane, where chairman Paul O'Malley acknowledged the bank had made a mistake. The Finance Sector Union had brought a case before the Fair Work Commission, resulting in some jobs being offered back, but not all.
- Company involved
- Commonwealth Bank
- AI system involved
- Bumblebee
4 source articles · read the reporting →
AI voice clone scams Hillsborough woman out of $15,000
Sharon Brightwell received a call from a number appearing to be her daughter's, with a voice sobbing and claiming to have been in a car crash. A man posing as an attorney demanded $15,000 in bail money, which she paid. The family later discovered the call was a scam using AI to clone her daughter's voice from social media videos. A report has been filed with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and a GoFundMe launched to recover the lost savings.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Amazon employees listen to thousands of Alexa users' private voice recordings
The article reports that Amazon employs thousands of people globally to listen to voice recordings captured by Alexa devices in Echo owners' homes. The recordings are used to improve Alexa's speech recognition, but users are not explicitly told that humans listen to their conversations. Workers sometimes hear private moments, including a possible sexual assault. Amazon stated that only a small sample is annotated and strict safeguards are in place.
- Company involved
- Amazon.com Inc.
- AI system involved
- Alexa
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Kerala police investigate deepfake scam that cost Kozhikode man ₹40,000
A 73-year-old retired man in Kozhikode, Kerala, was duped into transferring ₹40,000 after receiving WhatsApp messages and a video call that appeared to show a former colleague. Police believe the caller used deepfake technology to mimic the colleague's face and voice. The man realised the fraud when the caller asked for more money and he contacted his actual colleague. Police froze the money in a Maharashtra bank account and said the scam may be part of a wider group operation.
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Apple settles Siri listening lawsuit for $95m
Apple has agreed to pay $95m to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that its Siri virtual assistant recorded conversations without users' consent and shared the recordings with advertisers. The lead plaintiff, Fumiko Lopez, claims she and her daughter were recorded after unintentionally activating Siri. Apple denies wrongdoing and says it settled to avoid further litigation.
- Company involved
- Apple
- AI system involved
- Siri
6 source articles · read the reporting →
ElevenLabs recreates Alain Dorval's voice using AI without family approval
ElevenLabs, a UK-based AI startup, recreated the voice of deceased French dubbing artist Alain Dorval using AI for the film 'Armor'. His daughter, Aurore Bergé, criticized the company for publishing the cloned voice without her approval, stating she only agreed to a trial. ElevenLabs confirmed plans to recreate the voice and said it is working with the family.
- Company involved
- ElevenLabs
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Can an AI chatbot be convicted of an illegal wiretap? A case against Gap's Old Navy may answer that -…
The chatbot recorded and stored the plaintiff's entire conversation, including keystrokes and mouse clicks, without his knowledge.
- Company involved
- Old Navy
1 source article · read the reporting →
Dealership revoked offer to buy back customer's BMW, blaming wayward AI chatbot - cbc.ca
The AI chatbot offered a buy-back price of $27,162.79 to customer Zack Giacomelli for his BMW.
- Company involved
- BMW Toronto
- AI system involved
- Quinn
1 source article · read the reporting →
Is Your Voiceprint Protected? Amazon’s Biometric Privacy Battle in Illinois - FindLaw
The system collected and used voiceprints to verify callers' identities without their knowledge or consent.
- Company involved
- John Hancock
- AI system involved
- Amazon Connect with Pindrop
1 source article · read the reporting →
U.S. Federal Court Allows CIPA Class Action Against AI Customer Service Provider to Proceed - Wilson Sonsini
The AI system intercepted and recorded a customer's phone call and collected her personal and financial information without consent.
- Company involved
- ConverseNow Technologies, Inc.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Lawsuit: AI Illegally Recorded Doctor-Patient Encounters - BankInfoSecurity
The system recorded and transcribed patient-doctor conversations without patients' informed consent.
- Company involved
- Sutter Health and MemorialCare
- AI system involved
- Abridge AI platform
1 source article · read the reporting →
Patagonia Targeted by Privacy Class Action for Use of Customer Service AI Software - Law.com
The system intercepted, recorded, and mined data from customer service calls, affecting customers' privacy.
- Company involved
- Patagonia
- AI system involved
- Talkdesk
1 source article · read the reporting →
MAJOR LAWSUIT ALERT!: Home Depot And Google Facing CIPA Lawsuit For Use Of Google’s Cloud Contact Center AI - natlawreview.com
The system recorded and transcribed customer service calls without consent, affecting the privacy of callers.
- Company involved
- Home Depot
- AI system involved
- Google Cloud Contact Center AI
1 source article · read the reporting →
Call Vendors Skirt Wiretap Suit Over AI Transcription Tool - Law360
The system recorded and analyzed patient phone calls without their consent.
- Company involved
- Heartland Dental LLC
1 source article · read the reporting →
