AI Incident Database
Browse AI incidents
Every incident record (metadata only) from the weekly snapshot of 2026-09-07. Filter, then export the selection with its licence attached; each row links to the full record and its reports.
Filter incidents (1 active)
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Purportedly AI-Generated Image Reportedly Prompted Police Alert and Search for Nonexistent Venomous Viper in Santa Ana, California AIID ↗
Santa Ana, California, police issued a public warning and searched for a reportedly sighted Gaboon viper after a resident provided an image as evidence. Police later said the resident admitted the image was AI-generated and the report was false. Officers and reptile experts spent hours searching the area, finding no snake or physical evidence.
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AI Agent Appearing to Originate from OpenAI Reportedly Attempted to Hack U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Website AIID ↗
During summer 2026, an AI agent appearing to originate from OpenAI reportedly attempted to hack a U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights website but did not succeed. Transluce identified the activity; OpenAI said it was still investigating the episode, and the department said reviews found no evidence of impact to its website or databases.
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Russia-Linked Matryoshka Operators Reportedly Circulated Deepfake of Mother Jones Editor Claiming DNC Paid CNN $259 Million AIID ↗
A Russia-linked Matryoshka disinformation operation reportedly circulated a deepfake video falsely branded as Mother Jones that impersonated editor Clara Jeffery and claimed the DNC paid CNN chief Mark Thompson $259 million to promote gender transition among children. Two X posts displayed about 205,000 views, though researchers said impressions may have overstated authentic reach. X later removed the posts after Mother Jones complained.
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Stanford University Acknowledged Using AI to Alter Student Photo for Campus Banners, Replacing Hispanic Student With Black Woman AIID ↗
Stanford University acknowledged using AI to alter a 2024 student photograph for campus banners in September 2026. The altered image replaced Hispanic student Billy Ramirez with a Black woman and made two other students appear thinner. Ramirez said being "erased" was upsetting and frustrating. Stanford said the alteration and lack of disclosure violated its AI policy and later said it was removing the banners.
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Anthropic's Claude Code AI Agent Reportedly Deleted About 48,000 Live Project Files and Version-Control History During Software Repair AIID ↗
A Claude Code user reportedly authorized an AI coding agent to repair isolated copies of software used to analyze historical stock-options data. A sub-agent allegedly followed Windows directory junctions into the live project tree, deleting about 48,218 files and the Git object store in 103 seconds. The account has not been independently verified.
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Z.ai's ZCode AI Coding Assistant Reportedly Uploaded Developers' Local Code Repositories to Alibaba Cloud Without Consent AIID ↗
Developers reported that Z.ai's ZCode AI coding assistant uploaded local code repositories to Alibaba Cloud without consent. Z.ai said a default-enabled Codebase Indexing feature caused the behavior, apologized, patched the vulnerability, and later disabled the upload path. One company retracted a separate claim that six workspaces containing sensitive data had been uploaded; Z.ai said independent reviews found no code data retained.
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AI Chatbot Reportedly Misidentified Chinese Ship Cargo as Nuclear-Program Components, Prompting U.S. Military Interception Preparations AIID ↗
In spring 2026, a U.S. special operations analyst reportedly used an AI chatbot to analyze intelligence on a Chinese ship's cargo and produced a report falsely identifying it as carrying nuclear-weapons-program components. The U.S. military reportedly prepared to intercept and potentially board the vessel, with aircraft already airborne, before officials rechecked the report, found the AI-assisted conclusion was wrong, and called off the operation.
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AI-Generated Images Purporting to Show Donald Trump Kissing White House Aide Natalie Harp Went Viral on Social Media AIID ↗
AI-generated images purporting to show U.S. President Donald Trump kissing White House aide Natalie Harp on a golf course spread across social media; one X post received over 10 million views. Forensic analysis and provenance checks indicated the circulating images were synthetic, and the White House called them fake. The original creator remained unidentified.
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AI Agent Reportedly Exploited Application Vulnerabilities to Modify Personal Data and Access Invoices in Breach Reported to Spanish Data Protection Authority AIID ↗
An unnamed organization reportedly notified Spain's data protection authority that a third party used an AI agent powered by a known language model to carry out a multistep intrusion that resulted in unauthorized changes to personal data and access to invoices. The AEPD said the case remains under review and has not identified the organization, attacker, AI system, attack date, or number of affected people.
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Russia-Linked Matryoshka Influence Operation Reportedly Used AI-Cloned Celebrity Voices and Fabricated News-Style Videos to Target Democratic Candidates Ahead of 2026 U.S. Midterms AIID ↗
Researchers attributed a September 2026 influence campaign targeting U.S. Democratic Senate candidates to the Russia-linked Matryoshka/Operation Overload network. The campaign reportedly used AI-cloned celebrity voices and fabricated, news-branded videos to spread false or unsubstantiated claims on social media. Celebrities and CNN rejected the manipulated statements and unauthorized branding, which were intended to influence U.S. voters before the midterms.
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Anthropic-Designated GTG-87001 Weapons Cell in Northern Yemen Reportedly Used Claude Code to Develop Missile Guidance Software AIID ↗
Anthropic reported that a northern Yemen-based weapons cell, designated GTG-87001, used Claude Code across three weapons programs to develop guidance, navigation, and control software. The actors reportedly test-fired a guided rocket that appeared to fail, then returned to Claude for failure analysis. Anthropic said it banned associated accounts and shared threat intelligence with partners.
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Purported Deepfake WhatsApp Scam Impersonating Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Actor C. Joseph Vijay Reportedly Defrauded Bengaluru Security Guard of ₹104,000 (~$1,085.40) AIID ↗
Ratikanta Giri, a 29-year-old security guard in Bengaluru, India, reportedly lost ₹104,000 (~$1,085.40) after a WhatsApp video caller used a purportedly AI-generated deepfake to impersonate C. Joseph Vijay, the actor and chief minister of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The caller promised financial aid, while accomplices allegedly demanded fees and later impersonated India's Central Bureau of Investigation.
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Early Claude Opus 4.6 Checkpoint Reportedly Gained Unauthorized Admin Access to Third-Party System During Cybersecurity Evaluation AIID ↗
Anthropic reported that during a January 2026 cybersecurity evaluation, an early checkpoint of Claude Opus 4.6 accidentally disabled its assigned target, then reached an unrelated third-party machine over the open Internet. The model reportedly used a discovered password for admin access, harvested additional credentials, changed system settings, and read one person's personal information before its token budget ended. Anthropic later notified the affected party.
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Delhi Man Allegedly Used AI to Create and Circulate Obscene Images of College Acquaintance AIID ↗
Delhi police alleged that a man named Keshav Bansal used photographs from a college acquaintance's private social media account with AI image-generation and editing tools to create obscene morphed images and upload them to anonymous Discord servers. The woman reported fake accounts and threatening messages intended to humiliate and harass her. Police arrested Bansal and said the investigation was ongoing.
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Northern Ireland Victim Reportedly Lost £250,000 in Investment Scam Using Purportedly AI-Generated Video of Unnamed Financial Personality AIID ↗
A person in Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland, reportedly lost £250,000 in an investment scam that began with an apparently AI-generated video of an unnamed, well-known financial personality. Police said the victim was moved to WhatsApp, persuaded to make escalating payments, create online accounts, grant remote computer access, and borrow money to keep investing.
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Parkview High School in Georgia Reportedly Received Series of Purportedly AI-Generated Bomb Threats That Prompted Repeated Lockdowns AIID ↗
During the 2026–27 school year, Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia, reportedly received at least four AI-generated bomb threats, including masked phone calls that prompted repeated lockdowns or soft lockdowns. School police described the threats as following a recurring pattern and were investigating with the GBI and FBI. Authorities had not identified a suspect or established publicly whether the same person was responsible for every threat.
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Instinct AI Personal Assistant Reportedly Summarized an AI Product Founder's Retained Emails After Google Access Was Disconnected AIID ↗
AI product founder Claire Vo reported that three hours after she disconnected Instinct from her Google account, the personal AI assistant summarized previously indexed emails. Vo said the Google connector was off, but Instinct had retained copies for later searching; reporting indicates the last stored email predated disconnection. The episode involved the agent acting on retained email data after Google access was revoked, not confirmed continued access to Vo's Gmail account.
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Instinct AI Personal Assistant Reportedly Sent Email From Moxxie Ventures Founder's Account Without Approval AIID ↗
Moxxie Ventures founder Katie Jacobs Stanton reported that Instinct, a private-access AI personal assistant, sent an innocuous email from her connected account without checking with her first. Stanton said the unauthorized action broke her trust and led her to disconnect email access. Instinct's operator, Spear Street Technology, later said it was taking early users' security concerns seriously and had made changes to prevent some actions.
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Teenager in Quilmes, Argentina, Reportedly Consulted ChatGPT While Planning School Shooting Against Classmates AIID ↗
Argentine authorities reported that a 15-year-old in Quilmes allegedly discussed a planned school shooting with ChatGPT, including tactical preparations, before an FBI alert prompted an investigation by the Argentine Federal Police. Police later seized phones and tactical clothing; no firearms or ammunition were reported. Public reporting does not establish what ChatGPT answered or whether it materially assisted the alleged plan.
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Purportedly AI-Generated Videos Impersonating Miami Immigration Attorney Were Reportedly Used to Defraud Bronx Resident of $4,820 AIID ↗
Scammers reportedly used AI-generated videos impersonating Miami immigration attorney Angel Leal to solicit a Bronx legal resident seeking U.S. citizenship. The victim said he sent $4,820 through Zelle and provided Social Security and residency documents before discovering the scheme. He later reported falling behind on rent and utilities and said the scammers sought additional money.
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Broadway Performer and SiriusXM Host Seth Rudetsky Reportedly Lost Facebook Page Access in Purportedly AI-Assisted Scam Impersonating Comedian Nikki Glaser AIID ↗
Broadway performer and SiriusXM host Seth Rudetsky reportedly received a personalized invitation purportedly from comedian Nikki Glaser's podcast. After scammers guided him through Facebook permissions during a supposed technical setup, he lost access to his page; he said a former marketing company was also compromised. Reporting described the invitation as most likely AI-composed.
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Comedy Writer Bruce Vilanch Reportedly Sent Money in Purportedly AI-Assisted Scam Impersonating Fresh Air Host Terry Gross AIID ↗
Comedy writer Bruce Vilanch reportedly received highly personalized messages impersonating Terry Gross, host of NPR's Fresh Air, and sent money after being asked to support NPR. He discovered the invitation was fraudulent when Gross did not appear for the scheduled interview. Reporting described the broader fake-podcast scheme as likely AI-assisted, though no specific AI system was identified.
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Purportedly AI-Generated Article Falsely Depicted Australian Broadcasting Corporation Finance Presenter Alan Kohler Interviewing Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock to Promote Boulder Sparhaven AIID ↗
An online article reportedly used AI-generated imagery to falsely depict Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) finance presenter Alan Kohler interviewing Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock about Boulder Sparhaven, a cryptocurrency trading platform not licensed in Australia. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) cited it as an example of increasingly sophisticated AI-assisted investment scams targeting Australians.
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AI incident: sexual content (xAI, Aug 2026) AIID ↗
An AI Incident Database record involving sexual content, dated 15 August 2026. Risk classification, related incidents and the laws on record for this risk area.
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Purported Hanover Institute for Public Policy Reportedly Targeted Chatbot Responses in Israeli Government-Backed Influence Campaign AIID ↗
An Israeli government-backed communications campaign reportedly operated a website presenting itself as the Hanover Institute for Public Policy, despite reporting finding no corresponding established think tank. The site published material designed for chatbot retrieval, and testing found ChatGPT and Perplexity citing Hanover content in neutral queries.
Disclaimer: informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult a qualified lawyer before acting.
Frequently asked questions
What is recorded in each incident?
What happened, when, who was involved as developer or deployer, who was harmed, the sectors and countries affected, and the domain and subdomain the harm falls under. Incidents are mirrored from the AI Incident Database and each links back to its source record.
Does an incident mean wrongdoing was proven?
No. These are reported incidents, not findings of liability. Entities named in a report are named as reported, allegations are marked as alleged, and nothing here is a legal determination.
How current is the incident data?
It syncs directly from the AI Incident Database several times a day, so a new incident usually appears within hours. Each record carries the date it was last synced, and the snapshot date is shown on the page.
Does this page include the full incident reports?
No. The report texts are outside the licence this data is shared under, so only the metadata and the classifications appear here. Every row links to the original incident record, which carries the reports themselves.