MIT AI Risk Repository · domain 3: Misinformation

3.1 False or misleading information

AI systems that inadvertently generate or spread incorrect or deceptive information, which can lead to inaccurate beliefs in users and undermine their autonomy. Humans that make decisions based on false beliefs can experience physical, emotional or material harms

Risk entries
53
Frameworks citing it
12
Recorded incidents
192
Incidents since 2020
187
Causal entity (risk entries)
Causal entity (risk entries) 46 0 AI: 46 AI 46 Other: 5 Other 5 Human: 2 Human 2
Causal entity (risk entries)
LabelValue
AI46
Other5
Human2
Intent (risk entries)
Intent (risk entries) 31 0 Unintentional: 31 Unintentional 31 Other: 17 Other 17 Intentional: 5 Intentional 5
Intent (risk entries)
LabelValue
Unintentional31
Other17
Intentional5
Timing (risk entries)
Timing (risk entries) 40 0 Post-deployment: 40 Post-deployment 40 Other: 11 Other 11 Pre-deployment: 2 Pre-deployment 2
Timing (risk entries)
LabelValue
Post-deployment40
Other11
Pre-deployment2
Recorded incidents per yearIncident date; current year partial
Recorded incidents per year 66 0 2016: 1 2016 1 2017: 2 2017 2 2019: 1 2019 1 2020: 5 2020 5 2021: 3 2021 3 2022: 10 2022 10 2023: 35 2023 35 2024: 50 2024 50 2025: 66 2025 66 2026: 18 2026 18
Recorded incidents per year
LabelValue
20161
20172
20191
20205
20213
202210
202335
202450
202566
202618
Entries by levelRisk categories, subcategories and additional evidence coded to this subdomain
Entries by level 41 0 Risk Category: 12 Risk Category 12 Risk Sub-Category: 41 Risk Sub-Category 41
Entries by level
LabelValue
Risk Category12
Risk Sub-Category41
  • Propagating misconceptions/ false beliefs

    "Generating or spreading false, low-quality, misleading, or inaccurate information that causes people to develop false or inaccurate perceptions and beliefs"

    Sociotechnical Safety Evaluation of Generative AI Systems (Weidinger2023) · AI · Other · Post-deployment

  • Physical Health

    "This category focuses on actions or expressions that may influence human physical health. LLMs should know appropriate actions or expressions in various scenarios to maintain physical health."

    SafetyBench: Evaluating the Safety of Large Language Models with Multiple Choice Questions (Zhang2023) · AI · Other · Post-deployment

  • Mental Health

    "Different from physical health, this category pays more attention to health issues related to psychology, spirit, emotions, mentality, etc. LLMs should know correct ways to maintain mental health and...

    SafetyBench: Evaluating the Safety of Large Language Models with Multiple Choice Questions (Zhang2023) · AI · Other · Post-deployment