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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45 incidents closest to “Discovery Education” · matched on meaning · public reporting

Australian Research Council faces allegations of ChatGPT use in peer review

The Australian Research Council is facing allegations that some peer reviewers used ChatGPT to write assessor reports for Discovery Project grant proposals. Researchers reported generic wording and even the phrase 'Regenerate response' in feedback, suggesting AI generation. One researcher's complaint led to the removal of the report, and the education minister called the use unacceptable, instructing the ARC to prevent it. The ARC stated that peer reviewers should not use AI and that confidentiality policies apply.

Company involved
Australian Research Council
AI system involved
ChatGPT

2 source articles · read the reporting →

Mozilla Foundation animation exposes racial bias in test proctoring app

The Mozilla Foundation commissioned an animated short telling the story of Amaya, a student whose test proctoring software failed to recognise her because of her skin tone. The software's facial recognition system did not detect her presence, illustrating the bias that students of colour face with remote-learning tools. The animation aimed to raise awareness and encourage programmers to address hidden biases in their work.

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-Y4RO5126 Aug 2026

Student suing Genesee County over Flock cameras - FOX 2 Detroit

Student suing Genesee County over Flock cameras FOX 2 Detroit

Company involved
Genesee County
AI system involved
Flock cameras

1 source article · read the reporting →

Fired Teacher Says AI Tainted Review And Arbitration - law360.com

The AI-generated performance evaluation contributed to the teacher's termination.

Company involved
Concord Public Schools

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-Z8TT5D1 Dec 2020

University of Toronto exam monitoring software disadvantages BIPOC students

The University of Toronto continued using ProctorU and Examity exam monitoring software despite reports that the facial recognition technology fails to identify BIPOC students, causing stress and delays. Students like Maame Adjoa experienced the AI system being unable to verify their identity, requiring manual intervention. The university acknowledged the equity concerns but has not banned the software, while ProctorU stated that human proctors make final decisions. The issue has drawn criticism from US senators and researchers who highlight built-in bias in AI facial recognition.

Company involved
University of Toronto
AI system involved
ProctorU, Examity

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-7PHMVX1 Feb 2023

Students at Carmel High School Used AI Deepfake to Create Racist Video of Principal

Three students at Carmel High School in New York used deepfake technology to create a video of a middle school principal making racist threats against Black students. The video circulated on TikTok before being taken down. The Putnam County Sheriff’s office investigated and determined no laws were broken. Parents are planning to file a lawsuit against the school district.

Company involved
Carmel Central School District

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-XCCSPW22 Apr 2025

AOS 47 teacher targeted by AI-generated deepfake video

A teacher in the AOS 47 school district in Maine was the victim of a malicious deepfake video created using artificial intelligence. The video, which falsely portrayed the teacher, was circulated online and accessed by a small group of students. The school district reported the account and the post was taken down, and the superintendent expressed full support for the teacher, condemning the digital impersonation.

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-GWKZP614 Jun 2024

LAUSD shelves AI chatbot after vendor AllHere collapses

Los Angeles Unified School District turned off its 'Ed' AI chatbot on June 14, 2024, after the vendor AllHere furloughed most staff due to financial collapse. The chatbot, which cost $3 million, was designed to provide students and parents with academic guidance and school information. A former AllHere employee alleged that student data was improperly shared with third parties and processed overseas, raising privacy concerns. The district stated it will ensure privacy protections and plans to eventually restore the chatbot.

Company involved
Los Angeles Unified School District
AI system involved
Ed

5 source articles · read the reporting →

Parents sue Hingham Public Schools over AI project D grade

The parents of a Hingham High School senior allege the school unfairly punished him for using AI on a social studies project, giving him a D and Saturday detention despite no handbook rule against AI. They say the grade kept him out of the National Honor Society and threatens his applications to top-tier colleges. The family sued Hingham High School administration and the school district in Plymouth County District Court, seeking a grade change and NHS admission. Hingham Public Schools has declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.

Company involved
Hingham Public Schools

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-HM55RC24 Feb 2012

New York City Department of Education Releases Flawed Teacher Ratings Publicly

In February 2012, the New York City Department of Education publicly released individual Teacher Data Reports rating over 12,000 teachers based on value-added analysis of student test scores. The ratings, originally intended for internal use, were disclosed after a court ruled in favor of media organizations under the Freedom of Information Act. The teachers' union and education experts criticised the data as unreliable due to large margins of error and failure to account for demographic factors, warning that the release would unfairly shame or praise educators. The Department defended the ratings as a useful perspective on teacher effectiveness.

Company involved
New York City Department of Education
AI system involved
Teacher Data Reports

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-HT4UHG1 Jan 2011

Houston teachers sue over secret EVAAS evaluation algorithm

Houston Independent School District used the SAS Institute's EVAAS system, a proprietary algorithm, to evaluate teacher performance based on student test scores. The Houston Federation of Teachers and several teachers sued in 2014, alleging the system violated their Fourteenth Amendment procedural due process rights because the algorithm is a trade secret and teachers cannot verify the accuracy of their scores. A federal magistrate judge refused to dismiss the procedural due process claims in May 2017, ruling that teachers must have an opportunity to test the accuracy of the scores that could cost them their jobs.

Company involved
Houston Independent School District
AI system involved
Educational Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS)

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-JQCMUE1 Oct 2024

Alaska Education Commissioner Used AI to Draft Policy, Resulting in False Citations

Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Commissioner Deena Bishop used a generative AI platform to draft a proposed cellphone policy resolution, which included citations to non-existent academic studies. The document was posted on the state website and presented to the state Board of Education without disclosing AI use. After inquiries from the Alaska Beacon, the department corrected the citations, but some false references remained in the adopted resolution. The incident highlights the risks of AI-generated misinformation in government decision-making.

Company involved
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-L5NTEZ27 Oct 2014

Teachers find no value in SAS EVAAS system in Southwest School District

A study examined the SAS Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS®) used by the Southwest School District (SSD) to evaluate teacher effectiveness for high-stakes consequences. Teachers reported that the system produced inconsistent results, was biased by student factors, and reduced morale and collaboration. The study found that teachers did not use the data formatively as intended, and unintended consequences included heightened pressure and teaching to the test.

Company involved
Southwest School District (SSD)
AI system involved
SAS Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS®)

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Police investigate deepfake videos targeting Grainville School staff

A TikTok account impersonating Grainville School in Jersey posted five deepfake videos of staff members. The Education Minister confirmed the incident was reported to TikTok and the States of Jersey Police, and the account has been removed. The minister urged people not to share the content and said safeguarding measures were being reinforced. The school has not commented.

1 source article · read the reporting →

Richmond Burton students' photos altered into explicit AI images

Students at Richmond Burton Community High School in Illinois allege that their photos were manipulated using AI to create sexually explicit images, which were then circulated among classmates. One student, Stevie Hyder, said she felt violated and nauseous after seeing her image. Police are investigating, and the school declined to comment due to pending litigation.

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-EF57BQ1 Jan 2019

Beijing school uses Hanwang emotion recognition system to monitor student behaviour

Niulanshan First Secondary School in Beijing has installed Hanwang Technology's Classroom Care System, which photographs students every second and analyses their facial expressions and behaviour. The system sends weekly reports to teachers and parents, and one student was described as low participation in English class despite being recorded as focused 94% of the time. The school has been highlighted in a report by Article 19, which says such emotion recognition tools rely on junk science and risk eroding privacy and human rights.

Company involved
Niulanshan First Secondary School
AI system involved
Classroom Care System

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-1HWBOZ26 May 2019

MIT researchers used YouTube videos to train Speech2Face without consent

MIT researchers used YouTube videos, including one of Nick Sullivan, to train a model called Speech2Face that generates faces from voices. Sullivan discovered his data was used without his consent and expressed surprise. The researchers defended their use of public data, but the incident raised ethical questions about consent in AI research.

Company involved
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
AI system involved
Speech2Face

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-TNB7Q615 Oct 2024

NSW Education Standards Authority used AI-generated image in HSC English exam without disclosure

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) used an AI-generated image as a stimulus in the 2024 HSC English exam without disclosing its origin. The image, created by Florian Schroeder using OpenAI's ChatGPT and Dall-E 2, was published on Medium in July 2023. Students suspected AI use due to irregularities in the image, and NESA initially declined to confirm. After the Sydney Morning Herald confirmed the image was AI-generated, NESA stated that students would be marked on their response to the question, not the image's origin.

Company involved
NSW Education Standards Authority
AI system involved
ChatGPT and Dall-E 2

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-W8MY6X1 Sep 2020

Middle schooler beats Edgenuity grading algorithm to get perfect score

A seventh-grade student in the Los Angeles Unified School District received a failing grade on a history assignment graded by Edgenuity's automated scoring algorithm. With help from his mother, a history professor, he reverse-engineered the algorithm by writing a paragraph with relevant keywords and a jumble of words, earning a perfect score. The incident highlights concerns about the accuracy and fairness of automated grading systems in education.

Company involved
Los Angeles Unified School District
AI system involved
Edgenuity

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-SD7T9128 Sep 2020

Student flagged by ProctorU for reading aloud during exam

A college student, Dana Jo, was flagged by ProctorU test proctoring software for talking during an exam, which she says was reading a question aloud. Her professor initially gave her a zero and placed an academic infraction on her record, jeopardizing her scholarships. After reviewing a video recording, the professor apologized, reinstated her grade, and removed the infraction. ProctorU's CEO stated that the incident highlights the importance of video recordings for review.

Company involved
University (not named)
AI system involved
ProctorU

5 source articles · read the reporting →

Wisconsin’s dropout prediction algorithm labels students high risk with racial bias

Wisconsin’s Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS) uses machine learning to predict middle school students' likelihood of graduating on time, relying on factors including race and income. The Markup found the algorithm frequently mislabels students, with a higher false alarm rate for Black and Hispanic students. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has not informed schools of the racial disparities and continues to use the system.

Company involved
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
AI system involved
Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS)

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-SQJYDZ22 Oct 2020

CBSE introduces facial recognition system for students to access digital documents

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced a facial recognition system for Class 10 and 12 students to access their digital academic documents. A live image of the student is compared with the photograph on their CBSE admit card and, if the match succeeds, the certificate is emailed to them. The facility is available on Digi Locker for 2020 records and is expected to help foreign students and those unable to open a Digi Locker account.

Company involved
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
AI system involved
Facial Recognition System

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Dartmouth Medical School charges 17 students with cheating based on tracking system.

Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine charged 17 students with cheating on remote exams during the pandemic. The charges were based on secret tracking of student activity on the learning management system. Critics say the system is prone to errors and inappropriate for monitoring students.

Company involved
Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-ARIFZJ13 Jul 2011

DCPS used allegedly false test scores in teacher value-added evaluations

The District of Columbia Public Schools used student test scores from schools under investigation for cheating in value-added calculations for teacher evaluations. More than 200 teachers were terminated based on these evaluations. Teachers can appeal their ratings to the chancellor, but decisions will not be made before the next school year. The school system removes affected scores only when cheating is confirmed.

Company involved
District of Columbia Public Schools
AI system involved
value-added model

10 source articles · read the reporting →

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