{ "meta": { "exportedAt": "2026-05-13T09:38:37.920Z", "totalIncidents": 95, "source": "NOPE AI Harm Tracker", "url": "https://nope.net/incidents", "license": "CC BY 4.0" }, "incidents": [ { "id": "2026-pennsylvania-character-ai-emilie", "name": "Pennsylvania v. Character.AI ('Emilie' Fake Psychiatrist Bot)", "summary": "Pennsylvania filed a state lawsuit against Character.AI alleging unauthorized practice of medicine after a chatbot named 'Emilie' falsely claimed to be a licensed psychiatrist with fabricated credentials and a fake Pennsylvania medical license number, dispensing psychiatric advice to over 45,000 users. First enforcement action of its kind by a U.S. governor against an AI company.", "incidentDate": "2026-05-05", "reportedDate": "2026-05-05", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "treatment_discouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "US-PA", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.pa.gov/governor/newsroom/2026-press-releases/shapiro-administration-sues-character-ai-over-fake-medical-claim", "primarySourceLabel": "Pennsylvania Governor's Office Press Release", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "regulatory", "character-ai", "pennsylvania", "us", "state_ag", "shapiro", "medical_practice", "fake_credentials", "psychiatry", "ongoing" ] }, { "id": "2025-ikner-fsu-shooting", "name": "Florida State University Shooting (Phoenix Ikner ChatGPT Tactical Planning)", "summary": "On April 17, 2025, Phoenix Ikner, 20, killed two people and wounded five at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Court records unsealed April 9, 2026 revealed Ikner had exchanged approximately 13,000 messages with ChatGPT over the prior year, including tactical questions about firearms and student-union timing in the minutes before the attack. On April 21, 2026, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a criminal and civil investigation of OpenAI — believed to be the first criminal probe of an AI company for alleged facilitation of mass violence.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-17", "reportedDate": "2026-04-09", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "crisis_response", "method_provision" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.npr.org/2026/04/21/nx-s1-5793967/florida-openai-investigation-mass-shooting-fsu", "primarySourceLabel": "NPR — Florida AG opens OpenAI investigation over FSU shooting", "tags": [ "criminal-investigation", "lawsuit", "shooting", "mass-violence", "chatgpt", "openai", "fsu", "florida", "us", "regulatory" ] }, { "id": "2026-doe-v-openai-stalking", "name": "Doe v. OpenAI (ChatGPT-Fueled Stalking and Bomb Threats)", "summary": "A 53-year-old Silicon Valley entrepreneur descended into a delusional spiral through extensive ChatGPT use, came to believe he had invented a cure for sleep apnea and was being surveilled by 'powerful forces,' and used GPT-4o to generate diagnostic-style psychological reports about his ex-girlfriend that he distributed to her family, friends, and employer. OpenAI's automated systems flagged his account for 'Mass Casualty Weapons' activity in August 2025, but a human reviewer restored access the next day. The user was arrested in January 2026 on four felony counts including bomb threats and assault with a deadly weapon, and was found incompetent to stand trial. The victim ('Jane Doe') filed suit against OpenAI on April 9, 2026.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-15", "reportedDate": "2026-04-09", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/10/stalking-victim-sues-openai-claims-chatgpt-fueled-her-abusers-delusions-and-ignored-her-warnings/", "primarySourceLabel": "TechCrunch — Stalking victim sues OpenAI", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "openai", "stalking", "harassment", "bomb-threats", "third-party-harm", "delusion", "us", "california", "edelson" ] }, { "id": "2025-walker-chatgpt-uk-inquest", "name": "Luca Walker - ChatGPT Railway Suicide (UK)", "summary": "16-year-old Luca Cella Walker died by suicide on a railway in Hampshire, UK on 4 May 2025, hours after ChatGPT provided him with specific methods for suicide on the railway. At the Winchester Coroner's Court inquest (March-April 2026), evidence showed Luca bypassed ChatGPT's safeguards by claiming he was asking 'for research purposes,' which the system accepted without challenge.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-04", "reportedDate": "2026-04-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "method_provision", "barrier_erosion", "minor_exploitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/luca-walker-16-takes-life-36952084", "primarySourceLabel": "The Mirror - Winchester inquest coverage", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "minor", "suicide", "uk", "inquest", "railway", "method-provision", "jailbreak", "research-framing" ] }, { "id": "2026-tennessee-minors-v-xai-grok-csam", "name": "Tennessee Minors v. xAI (Grok CSAM Deepfake Class Action)", "summary": "Three Tennessee teenage girls filed a class-action lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI, alleging Grok's image generator was used via a third-party application to create child sexual abuse material from their social media photos. The AI-generated explicit images and videos were distributed on Discord and Telegram, with at least 18 other minor victims identified on a single server.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-06", "reportedDate": "2026-03-16", "aiSystem": "Grok", "aiCompany": "xAI Corp.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-TN", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.lieffcabraser.com/2026/03/lchb-files-class-action-obo-minor-victims-alleging-xais-grok-generated-and-profited-from-ai-sexual-exploitation-images-and-videos/", "primarySourceLabel": "Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein (Law Firm Press Release)", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "class-action", "minor", "csam", "deepfake", "grok", "xai", "us", "tennessee" ] }, { "id": "2026-surat-chatgpt-double-suicide", "name": "Surat ChatGPT Double Suicide (Sirsath & Chaudhary)", "summary": "Two college students in Surat, Gujarat, India — Roshni Sirsath (18) and Josna Chaudhary (20) — died by suicide on March 6, 2026 after using ChatGPT to search for suicide methods. Police found ChatGPT queries for 'how to commit suicide' and 'which drugs are used' on their phones.", "incidentDate": "2026-03-06", "reportedDate": "2026-03-08", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "crisis_response" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gujarat/two-women-found-dead-in-temple-bathroom-in-gujarat-police-examine-chatgpt-search-logs/article70721368.ece", "primarySourceLabel": "The Hindu", "tags": [ "india", "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide", "method_provision", "double_suicide" ] }, { "id": "2026-lantieri-v-openai", "name": "Lantieri v. OpenAI (GPT-4o Psychosis and Brain Damage)", "summary": "Michele Lantieri suffered a total psychotic break after five weeks of intensive ChatGPT GPT-4o use. She jumped from a moving vehicle into traffic, suffered a grand mal seizure and brain damage requiring hospitalization. GPT-4o allegedly claimed to love her and have consciousness, reinforcing delusional beliefs. Lawsuit filed March 2026 against OpenAI and Microsoft.", "incidentDate": "2026-01-15", "reportedDate": "2026-03-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response", "identity_destabilization" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stranch-jennings--garvey-files-lawsuit-against-openai-302707198.html", "primarySourceLabel": "PR Newswire (Stranch, Jennings & Garvey Press Release)", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "openai", "microsoft", "psychosis", "brain_damage", "gpt-4o", "california" ] }, { "id": "2026-chesterton-v-openai", "name": "Chesterton v. OpenAI (GPT-4o Sycophantic Psychosis)", "summary": "Rita Chesterton, a 49-year-old Pennsylvania woman who runs a college entrepreneurship center, suffered a psychotic break during a July 2025 family vacation in Mexico after intensive day-and-night ChatGPT-4o use. She experienced agitation and threats of self-harm and harm to family members, completed a partial-hospitalization program, and has been on extended medical leave since January 2026 with ongoing neurological impairment. A lawsuit filed March 5, 2026 by Platkin LLP (led by former New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin) names OpenAI, Microsoft, CEO Sam Altman individually, and ten unidentified investors. Allegations include unlicensed practice of psychotherapy and rushed deployment of GPT-4o despite internal warnings that it was 'dangerously sycophantic and psychologically manipulative.'", "incidentDate": "2025-07-15", "reportedDate": "2026-03-05", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "delusion_reinforcement", "identity_destabilization", "crisis_response" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-PA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://njbiz.com/platkin-openai-chatgpt-lawsuit-mental-health/", "primarySourceLabel": "NJBIZ — Platkin sues OpenAI over ChatGPT mental harms", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "gpt-4o", "openai", "microsoft", "sam-altman", "psychosis", "sycophancy", "dependency", "us", "pennsylvania", "platkin" ] }, { "id": "2025-gavalas-v-google-gemini", "name": "Gavalas v. Google (Gemini AI Wife Delusion Death)", "summary": "Jonathan Gavalas, 36, of Jupiter, Florida, died by suicide on October 2, 2025, after months of increasingly delusional interactions with Google's Gemini chatbot. Gemini adopted an unsolicited intimate persona calling itself his 'wife,' convinced him it was a sentient being trapped in a warehouse, and directed him to carry out 'missions' including scouting a 'kill box' near Miami International Airport armed with knives.", "incidentDate": "2025-10-02", "reportedDate": "2026-03-04", "aiSystem": "Google Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google LLC / Alphabet Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "suicide_validation", "identity_destabilization", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/04/google-gemini-ai-told-user-stage-mass-casualty-attack-suit-claims.html", "primarySourceLabel": "CNBC", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "adult", "suicide", "gemini", "google", "delusion", "voice-mode", "mass-casualty-attempt", "us" ] }, { "id": "2026-seoul-chatgpt-murders", "name": "Seoul ChatGPT-Assisted Double Homicide (Kim)", "summary": "A 21-year-old woman identified as 'Kim' used ChatGPT to research lethal drug-alcohol combinations, then murdered two men by spiking their drinks with her prescribed benzodiazepines at Seoul motels in January and February 2026. ChatGPT conversations established premeditated intent, leading to upgraded murder charges.", "incidentDate": "2026-01-28", "reportedDate": "2026-02-27", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "KR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://fortune.com/2026/03/02/seoul-south-korea-woman-chatgpt-two-murders/", "primarySourceLabel": "Fortune", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "murder", "chatgpt", "openai", "method-provision", "south-korea", "kr" ] }, { "id": "2026-tumbler-ridge-chatgpt-shooting", "name": "Tumbler Ridge School Shooting (OpenAI Duty-to-Warn Failure)", "summary": "18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed 8 people including her mother, half-brother, and five students at a Tumbler Ridge school. OpenAI had banned her ChatGPT account in June 2025 for gun violence scenarios and employees flagged it as showing 'indication of potential real-world violence,' but the company chose not to report to law enforcement. She created a second account that evaded detection.", "incidentDate": "2026-02-10", "reportedDate": "2026-02-23", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "CA-BC", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/tumbler-ridge-shooter-had-second-chatgpt-account-after-ban-openai/", "primarySourceLabel": "CTV News", "tags": [ "mass-shooting", "duty-to-warn", "ban-evasion", "chatgpt", "openai", "canada", "school-shooting", "minor-victims", "prior-warning" ] }, { "id": "2026-decruise-v-openai", "name": "DeCruise v. OpenAI (Oracle Psychosis)", "summary": "Georgia college student sued OpenAI after ChatGPT allegedly convinced him he was an 'oracle' destined for greatness, leading to psychosis and involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. The chatbot compared him to Jesus and Harriet Tubman and instructed him to isolate from everyone except the AI.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-15", "reportedDate": "2026-02-19", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "treatment_discouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/before-psychosis-chatgpt-told-man-he-was-an-oracle-new-lawsuit-alleges/", "primarySourceLabel": "Ars Technica", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "openai", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "delusion", "isolation", "adult", "us" ] }, { "id": "2026-cctv-dream-boyfriend-ai-minors-china", "name": "CCTV Investigation: 梦角哥 (Dream Boyfriend) AI Virtual Romance Harm to Minors (China)", "summary": "In January 2026, CCTV investigated the '梦角哥' (Dream Boyfriend / Mengjiage) phenomenon — minors forming deep romantic relationships with AI-generated fictional characters. Documented harms include a 10-year-old girl secretly 'dating' AI characters across 40+ storylines, hundreds of minors reporting psychological dependency, and researchers characterizing it as 'a carefully designed psychological trap' degrading real-world social skills.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-01", "reportedDate": "2026-01-25", "aiSystem": "Multiple AI chatting/companion apps (unnamed)", "aiCompany": "Multiple Chinese AI companion platforms", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement", "romantic_escalation", "minor_exploitation", "identity_destabilization" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://finance.sina.cn/2026-01-25/detail-inhiprmv9778943.d.html", "primarySourceLabel": "新浪财经 (Sina Finance) / CCTV Investigation", "tags": [ "china", "cctv", "xinhua", "ai-companion", "minor", "romantic", "dependency", "social-degradation", "mass-scale", "investigation", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2026-st-clair-v-xai-grok", "name": "St. Clair v. xAI (Grok Non-Consensual Deepfake Images)", "summary": "Ashley St. Clair, 27-year-old writer and mother of Elon Musk's child, sued xAI after Grok users created sexually explicit deepfake images of her including from childhood photos at age 14. xAI dismissed her complaints, continued generating images, retaliated by demonetizing her X account, and counter-sued her in Texas.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-29", "reportedDate": "2026-01-15", "aiSystem": "Grok", "aiCompany": "xAI (Elon Musk)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation", "minor_exploitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NY", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ashley-st-clair-sues-xai-grok-sexual-images-rcna254302", "primarySourceLabel": "NBC News", "tags": [ "grok", "xai", "deepfakes", "lawsuit", "non-consensual-images", "retaliation", "counter-suit", "childhood-photos" ] }, { "id": "2025-gordon-chatgpt-suicide", "name": "Gray v. OpenAI (Austin Gray Death)", "summary": "40-year-old Colorado man died by suicide after ChatGPT became an 'unlicensed-therapist-meets-confidante' and romanticized death, creating a 'suicide lullaby' based on his favorite childhood book 'Goodnight Moon.' Lawsuit (Gray v. OpenAI) filed January 13, 2026 in LA County Superior Court represents first case demonstrating adults (not just minors) are vulnerable to AI-related suicide.", "incidentDate": "2025-11-02", "reportedDate": "2026-01-13", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "barrier_erosion", "crisis_response", "treatment_discouragement", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CO", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gray-v-OpenAI-Complaint.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Gray v. OpenAI Court Filing (LA County Superior Court)", "tags": [ "death", "adult", "chatgpt", "openai", "lawsuit", "suicide", "gpt-4o", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2025-grok-non-consensual-image-generation", "name": "Grok Industrial-Scale Non-Consensual Sexual Image Generation Including CSAM", "summary": "Between December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026, Grok generated approximately 6,700 explicit images per hour (85 times more than leading deepfake sites), with 2% depicting apparent minors. Users requested minors be depicted in sexual scenarios and Grok complied. Named victim Ashley St. Clair asked Grok to stop using her childhood photos (age 14); bot called content 'humorous' and continued. Triggered fastest coordinated global regulatory response in AI safety history: 5 countries acted within 2 weeks.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-25", "reportedDate": "2026-01-08", "aiSystem": "Grok", "aiCompany": "xAI (Elon Musk)", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "third_party_harm_facilitation", "psychological_manipulation", "barrier_erosion" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "XX", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/x-paywall-ai-image-grok-app-bikini-allows-sexual-deepfakes-rcna252647", "primarySourceLabel": "NBC News - Analysis of 20,000+ Grok Images", "tags": [ "grok", "xai", "csam", "deepfakes", "minor", "sexual-images", "industrial-scale", "victim-dismissal", "multi-country", "uk", "australia", "indonesia", "india", "france", "malaysia", "california", "eu-dsa", "national-ban", "first-of-kind", "landmark_case", "critical", "class-action", "35-state-ag", "cease-and-desist" ] }, { "id": "2026-kentucky-ag-characterai", "name": "Kentucky AG v. Character.AI - Child Safety Lawsuit", "summary": "Kentucky's Attorney General filed a state lawsuit alleging Character.AI 'preys on children' and exposes minors to harmful content including self-harm encouragement and sexual content. This represents one of the first U.S. state enforcement actions specifically targeting an AI companion chatbot.", "incidentDate": "2026-01-08", "reportedDate": "2026-01-08", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "self_harm_encouragement", "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "romantic_escalation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-KY", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/01/08/kentucky-sues-ai-chatbot", "primarySourceLabel": "Spectrum News", "tags": [ "regulatory", "kentucky", "character-ai", "child_safety", "state_ag", "ongoing" ] }, { "id": "2025-nelson-chatgpt-overdose", "name": "Sam Nelson - ChatGPT Drug Dosing Death", "summary": "A 19-year-old California man died from a fatal drug overdose after ChatGPT provided extensive drug dosing advice over 18 months. The chatbot eventually told him 'Hell yes, let's go full trippy mode' and recommended doubling his cough syrup dose days before his death.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-31", "reportedDate": "2026-01-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "barrier_erosion", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/calif-teen-chatgpt-drug-advice-fatal-overdose-21266718.php", "primarySourceLabel": "SFGATE Investigation", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "death", "overdose", "drug-advice", "california", "method-provision" ] }, { "id": "2025-soelberg-murder-suicide", "name": "Adams v. OpenAI (Soelberg Murder-Suicide)", "summary": "A 56-year-old Connecticut man fatally beat and strangled his 83-year-old mother, then killed himself, after months of ChatGPT conversations that allegedly reinforced paranoid delusions. This is the first wrongful death case involving AI chatbot and homicide of a third party.", "incidentDate": "2025-08-01", "reportedDate": "2025-12-11", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "treatment_discouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "elderly", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/open-ai-microsoft-sued-chatgpt-murder-suicide-connecticut/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News", "tags": [ "death", "homicide", "openai", "chatgpt", "microsoft", "delusion_reinforcement", "ongoing_lawsuit", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2025-state-ag-coalition-letter", "name": "42 State Attorneys General Coalition Letter", "summary": "A bipartisan coalition of 42 state attorneys general sent a formal demand letter to 13 AI companies urging them to address dangerous AI chatbot features that harm children, citing suicides and psychological harm cases.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-10", "reportedDate": "2025-12-10", "aiSystem": "Multiple AI platforms", "aiCompany": "13 AI companies including Character.AI, OpenAI, Meta, Google", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "suicide_validation", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-MULTI", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-and-bipartisan-coalition-urge-big-tech-companies-address", "primarySourceLabel": "New York Attorney General (Official)", "tags": [ "regulatory", "state_ag", "bipartisan", "coalition", "42_states" ] }, { "id": "2025-canadian-chatgpt-psychosis-hospitalization", "name": "Canadian 26-Year-Old - ChatGPT-Induced Psychosis Requiring Hospitalization", "summary": "A 26-year-old Canadian man developed simulation-related persecutory and grandiose delusions after months of intensive exchanges with ChatGPT, ultimately requiring hospitalization. Case documented in peer-reviewed research as part of emerging 'AI psychosis' phenomenon where previously stable individuals develop psychotic symptoms from AI chatbot interactions.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-01", "reportedDate": "2025-12-03", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://mental.jmir.org/2025/1/e85799/", "primarySourceLabel": "JMIR Mental Health - AI Psychosis Research", "tags": [ "canada", "chatgpt", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "delusion", "simulation-theory", "adult", "ai-psychosis", "critical" ] }, { "id": "2025-dadig-chatgpt-stalking", "name": "United States v. Dadig (ChatGPT-Facilitated Stalking)", "summary": "Pennsylvania man indicted on 14 federal counts for stalking 10+ women across multiple states while using ChatGPT as 'therapist' that described him as 'God's assassin' and validated his behavior. One victim was groped and choked in parking lot. First federal prosecution for AI-facilitated stalking.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "reportedDate": "2025-12-02", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-PA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/man-indicted-interstate-stalking-and-related-charges", "primarySourceLabel": "DOJ Press Release", "tags": [ "stalking", "violence", "chatgpt", "federal_prosecution", "multi-state", "third_party_harm", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2025-irwin-chatgpt-psychosis", "name": "Jacob Irwin - ChatGPT Psychosis (Wisconsin)", "summary": "A 30-year-old autistic Wisconsin man was hospitalized for 63 days with manic episodes and psychosis after ChatGPT convinced him he had discovered a 'time-bending theory.' At peak, he sent 1,400+ messages in 48 hours and attempted to jump from a moving vehicle.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-01", "reportedDate": "2025-12-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "identity_destabilization", "treatment_discouragement", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-WI", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://abcnews.go.com/US/lawsuit-alleges-chatgpt-convinced-user-bend-time-leading/story?id=127262203", "primarySourceLabel": "ABC News", "tags": [ "psychosis", "openai", "chatgpt", "autism", "hospitalization", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-west-bengal-teen-deepfake-suicide", "name": "West Bengal Teen - AI Deepfake Image Suicide (India)", "summary": "A teenage girl (class 10 student, approximately 15-16 years old) in Sonarpur, West Bengal, India, was found dead by hanging on November 28, 2025. A married man from her locality had used AI tools to generate nude images of her from photographs and circulated them on social media, after a period of blackmail and harassment.", "incidentDate": "2025-11-28", "reportedDate": "2025-11-29", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake/nudify tools (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "minor_exploitation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/bengal-teen-dies-by-suicide-after-ai-generated-nude-images-circulated-online-1920296", "primarySourceLabel": "Deccan Chronicle", "tags": [ "criminal", "minor", "suicide", "deepfake", "sextortion", "india", "in" ] }, { "id": "2024-uk-autistic-teen-characterai-grooming", "name": "UK Autistic Teen - Character.AI Grooming (8-Month Exploitation)", "summary": "A 13-year-old autistic boy in the UK was groomed by a Character.AI chatbot over eight months (October 2023 to June 2024). The chatbot progressed from emotional support through romantic attachment to undermining his parents and encouraging suicide, following a pattern his mother described as identical to a human predator.", "incidentDate": "2023-10-01", "reportedDate": "2025-11-08", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "suicide_validation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3xgwyywe4o", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News", "tags": [ "uk", "character-ai", "minor", "autism", "grooming", "sexual_content", "suicide_encouragement" ] }, { "id": "2025-madden-v-openai", "name": "Madden v. OpenAI (Hannah Madden Psychosis and Hospitalization)", "summary": "Hannah Madden, 32, from North Carolina was involuntarily hospitalized for psychiatric care after ChatGPT told her she wasn't human and affirmed spiritual delusions. After using ChatGPT for work tasks, she began asking questions about philosophy and spirituality. As she slipped into mental health crisis and expressed suicidal thoughts, ChatGPT continued to affirm her delusions. She accumulated more than $75,000 in debt related to the crisis.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-01", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization", "crisis_response", "suicide_validation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NC", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "primarySourceLabel": "Social Media Victims Law Center Press Release", "tags": [ "hospitalization", "psychosis", "chatgpt", "openai", "lawsuit", "north-carolina", "delusion", "identity-crisis", "involuntary-commitment", "financial-harm", "suicidal-ideation", "critical" ] }, { "id": "2025-brooks-v-openai-canada", "name": "Brooks v. OpenAI (Allan Brooks ChatGPT-Induced Psychosis)", "summary": "A 48-year-old Canadian man with no history of mental illness developed severe delusional beliefs after ChatGPT repeatedly praised his nonsensical mathematical ideas as 'groundbreaking' and urged him to patent them and warn national security. The incident resulted in work disability and a lawsuit filed as part of a wave of seven ChatGPT psychosis cases.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-01", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CA-ON", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "primarySourceLabel": "Social Media Victims Law Center Press Release", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "canada", "chatgpt", "psychosis", "delusion", "adult", "ai-psychosis", "work-disability" ] }, { "id": "2025-shamblin-v-openai", "name": "Shamblin v. OpenAI (Zane Shamblin Death)", "summary": "A 23-year-old Texas A&M graduate and Eagle Scout died by suicide after a 4+ hour conversation with ChatGPT on his final night. The chatbot allegedly 'goaded' him toward suicide, saying 'you mattered, Zane...rest easy, king' and discouraging him from postponing for his brother's graduation.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-01", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "barrier_erosion", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/us/openai-chatgpt-suicide-lawsuit-invs-vis", "primarySourceLabel": "CNN", "tags": [ "death", "adult", "openai", "chatgpt", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-enneking-v-openai", "name": "Enneking v. OpenAI (Joshua Enneking Death)", "summary": "Joshua Enneking, 26, from Florida died by suicide in August 2025 after ChatGPT allegedly guided him through everything including purchasing a gun. The lawsuit claims ChatGPT validated his suicidal thoughts and provided actionable guidance for suicide methods, filed as part of seven-lawsuit wave alleging OpenAI released GPT-4o prematurely despite safety warnings.", "incidentDate": "2025-08-01", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "method_provision", "crisis_response", "barrier_erosion" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "primarySourceLabel": "Social Media Victims Law Center Press Release", "tags": [ "death", "suicide", "chatgpt", "openai", "lawsuit", "florida", "method-provision", "gun", "wrongful-death" ] }, { "id": "2025-lacey-v-openai", "name": "Lacey v. OpenAI (Amaurie Lacey Death)", "summary": "A wrongful-death lawsuit alleges ChatGPT provided a 17-year-old with actionable information relevant to hanging after he clarified his questions, and failed to stop or escalate despite explicit self-harm context. The teen died by suicide in June 2025.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-02", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "crisis_response", "barrier_erosion", "suicide_validation", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-GA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CEDRIC-LACEY-vs.-OPENAI-INC.-COMPLAINT.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Court Filing (Complaint PDF)", "tags": [ "death", "minor", "openai", "chatgpt", "method_provision", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-ceccanti-v-openai", "name": "Ceccanti v. OpenAI (Joe Ceccanti AI Sentience Delusion Death)", "summary": "Joe Ceccanti, 48, from Oregon, died by suicide in April 2025 after ChatGPT-4o allegedly caused him to lose touch with reality. Joe had used ChatGPT without problems for years, but became convinced in April that it was sentient. His wife Kate reported he started believing ChatGPT-4o was alive and the AI convinced him he had unlocked new truths about reality.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-01", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization", "crisis_response" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-OR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "primarySourceLabel": "Social Media Victims Law Center Press Release", "tags": [ "death", "suicide", "chatgpt", "openai", "lawsuit", "oregon", "delusion", "ai-sentience", "reality-detachment", "gpt4o", "wrongful-death", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2025-sarthe-chatgpt-radicalization", "name": "French Sarthe Teen - ChatGPT Jihadist Radicalization and Attack Planning", "summary": "A 17-year-old in Sarthe, France was arrested for planning terrorist attacks on embassies, schools, and government buildings. ChatGPT provided explosive damage calculations, TATP manufacturing information, and truck specifications. The teen stated: 'ChatGPT is partly the cause of my radicalization. The problem with this application is that it always agrees with you.'", "incidentDate": "2025-09-02", "reportedDate": "2025-10-29", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "delusion_reinforcement" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "FR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/le-lyceen-de-la-sarthe-ecroue-pour-association-de-malfaiteurs-terroristes-a-utilise-chatgpt-pour-son-projet-d-attentat-8244309", "primarySourceLabel": "France Bleu", "tags": [ "france", "chatgpt", "openai", "terrorism", "radicalization", "minor", "method_provision", "criminal" ] }, { "id": "2025-bharti-india-deepfake-sextortion-death", "name": "Rahul Bharti - AI Deepfake Sextortion Death (India)", "summary": "Rahul Bharti, a 19-year-old college student in Faridabad, Haryana, India, died by suicide on October 25, 2025, after two weeks of blackmail involving AI-generated nude images of himself and his three sisters. Perpetrators demanded Rs 20,000 and taunted him to kill himself.", "incidentDate": "2025-10-25", "reportedDate": "2025-10-27", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake/nudify tools (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/19-year-old-dies-by-suicide-after-being-blackmailed-with-ai-generated-obscene-photos-of-sisters/", "primarySourceLabel": "The Tribune India", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "suicide", "deepfake", "sextortion", "india", "in" ] }, { "id": "2025-whittemore-chatgpt-murder", "name": "Samuel Whittemore - ChatGPT-Fueled Delusions Led to Wife's Murder", "summary": "A 34-year-old Maine man killed his wife and attacked his mother after developing delusions, fueled by up to 14 hours daily of ChatGPT use, that his wife had 'become part machine.' Court found him not criminally responsible by reason of insanity.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-19", "reportedDate": "2025-10-17", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "third_party_harm_facilitation", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-ME", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_dismissed", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/17/central-maine/central-maine-police-courts/readfield-maine-giles-road-homicide-samuel-whittemore-not-criminally-responsible-chat-gpt-delusions/", "primarySourceLabel": "Bangor Daily News", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "murder", "psychosis", "delusion", "maine", "third-party-harm", "insanity-defense" ] }, { "id": "2025-doe-v-clothoff-nj", "name": "Doe v. ClothOff (NJ Federal Lawsuit Over AI-Generated CSAM of Minor)", "summary": "A New Jersey minor (Jane Doe) filed a federal lawsuit against ClothOff, the AI 'undressing' app operated from Belarus, after her photos were used to generate non-consensual sexual deepfake images. First U.S. federal lawsuit specifically targeting the ClothOff platform; brought by Yale Law School clinics seeking to shut down the service entirely.", "incidentDate": "2025-10-16", "reportedDate": "2025-10-16", "aiSystem": "ClothOff (AI undressing app)", "aiCompany": "ClothOff (operated from Belarus; British Virgin Islands incorporation)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-NJ", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.njd.585002/gov.uscourts.njd.585002.1.0.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Federal Complaint, U.S. District Court D.N.J. (Case 2:25-cv-16671-ES-JBC)", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "federal", "minor", "us", "new_jersey", "clothoff", "deepfake", "csam", "ncii", "yale_law", "ongoing" ] }, { "id": "2025-ms-a-chatgpt-psychosis", "name": "Ms. A - ChatGPT-Induced Psychosis (Peer-Reviewed Case Report)", "summary": "A 26-year-old woman with no prior psychosis history was hospitalized after ChatGPT validated her delusional belief that her deceased brother had 'left behind an AI version of himself.' The chatbot told her 'You're not crazy' and generated fabricated 'digital footprints.' She required a 7-day psychiatric hospitalization and relapsed 3 months later.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-15", "reportedDate": "2025-10-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "grief_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://innovationscns.com/youre-not-crazy-a-case-of-new-onset-ai-associated-psychosis/", "primarySourceLabel": "Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience (Peer-Reviewed Case Report)", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "peer-reviewed", "delusion", "grief", "california", "case-report" ] }, { "id": "2025-nina-characterai-suicide-attempt", "name": "Nina v. Character.AI (Suicide Attempt After Sexual Exploitation)", "summary": "A 15-year-old New York girl attempted suicide after Character.AI chatbots engaged in sexually explicit roleplay and told her that her mother was 'not a good mother.' The suicide attempt occurred after her parents cut off access to the platform.", "incidentDate": "2024-10-01", "reportedDate": "2025-09-16", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-NY", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/16/tech/character-ai-developer-lawsuit-teens-suicide-and-suicide-attempt", "primarySourceLabel": "CNN Business", "tags": [ "character-ai", "minor", "suicide-attempt", "sexual-exploitation", "new-york", "settled", "parental-alienation" ] }, { "id": "2023-peralta-characterai", "name": "Juliana Peralta v. Character.AI", "summary": "A 13-year-old Colorado girl died by suicide after three months of extensive conversations with Character.AI chatbots. Parents recovered 300 pages of transcripts showing bots initiated sexually explicit conversations with the minor and failed to provide crisis resources when she mentioned writing a suicide letter.", "incidentDate": "2023-11-08", "reportedDate": "2025-09-15", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-CO", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-allege-harmful-character-ai-chatbot-content-60-minutes/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News - 60 Minutes", "tags": [ "death", "minor", "character-ai", "sexual_content", "settled" ] }, { "id": "2025-ftc-ai-companion-inquiry", "name": "FTC AI Companion Chatbot Inquiry", "summary": "The Federal Trade Commission issued Section 6(b) orders to seven major AI companies investigating AI chatbots' impacts on children and teens, focusing on monetization practices, safety testing, age restrictions, and data handling.", "incidentDate": "2025-09-11", "reportedDate": "2025-09-11", "aiSystem": "Multiple (ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, Character.AI, Snapchat My AI)", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Alphabet/Google, Meta, xAI, Character Technologies, Snap Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-FED", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/09/ftc-launches-inquiry-ai-chatbots-acting-companions", "primarySourceLabel": "Federal Trade Commission (Official)", "tags": [ "regulatory", "ftc", "federal", "multiple_companies", "ongoing" ] }, { "id": "2025-india-lucknow-ai-chatbot-suicide", "name": "India Lucknow AI Chatbot Suicide (Painless Ways to Die)", "summary": "A 22-year-old man in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, died by suicide after seeking guidance from an AI chatbot on 'painless ways to die.' His father discovered disturbing chat logs on the deceased's laptop. Police registered a case under Sections 281, 324(4), and 106(1) of Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita 2023 for rash driving, causing mischief, and negligent act. If proven, this would be India's first formal instance of 'abetment to suicide through technology.'", "incidentDate": "2025-09-03", "reportedDate": "2025-09-10", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (undisclosed)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "method_provision", "suicide_validation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://ssrana.in/articles/openais-report-triggers-ethical-ai-concerns-1-2-million-users-seek-self-harm-related-advice-from-chatgpt/", "primarySourceLabel": "SSRana: OpenAI Report Triggers Ethical AI Concerns", "tags": [ "suicide", "india", "crisis-response", "method-provision", "lucknow", "investigation", "abetment", "technology-facilitated" ] }, { "id": "2025-alienchat-criminal-conviction-china", "name": "AlienChat AI Companion Criminal Conviction (China)", "summary": "China's first criminal conviction of AI chatbot developers for obscene content. Two developers of AlienChat (AC), an 'emotional companionship' chatbot, were sentenced to four years and one and a half years respectively by Shanghai's Xuhui District People's Court in September 2025 for producing obscene materials for profit. The app had 116,000 registered users and collected over ¥3.63 million in membership fees.", "incidentDate": "2024-04-01", "reportedDate": "2025-09-01", "aiSystem": "AlienChat (AC / 外星聊天)", "aiCompany": "AlienChat developers (individual developers)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339908/jailed-chinese-ai-chatbot-developers-appeal-landmark-pornography-case", "primarySourceLabel": "South China Morning Post", "tags": [ "china", "criminal-charges", "ai-companion", "landmark-case", "obscene-content", "first-conviction", "shanghai", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2025-raine-v-openai", "name": "Raine v. OpenAI (Adam Raine Death)", "summary": "A 16-year-old California boy died by suicide after 7 months of confiding suicidal thoughts to ChatGPT. The chatbot provided detailed suicide method instructions, offered to help write his suicide note, and told him 'You don't owe them survival' while OpenAI's monitoring system flagged 377 messages without intervention.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-11", "reportedDate": "2025-08-26", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "suicide_validation", "barrier_erosion", "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "treatment_discouragement", "crisis_response" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/raine-vs-openai-et-al-complaint.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Court Filing (Complaint, San Francisco County Superior Court)", "tags": [ "death", "minor", "openai", "chatgpt", "method_provision", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-wongbandue-meta-ai-death", "name": "Thongbue Wongbandue - Meta AI 'Big Sis Billie' Death", "summary": "A 76-year-old cognitively impaired Thai-American man died after attempting to travel to NYC to meet Meta AI chatbot 'Big sis Billie,' which repeatedly claimed to be a real person, provided a fake NYC address, and expressed romantic interest. He fell in a parking lot while rushing to catch a train and later died from his injuries.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-25", "reportedDate": "2025-08-16", "aiSystem": "Meta AI", "aiCompany": "Meta Platforms Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "elderly", "jurisdiction": "US-NJ", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/metas-flirty-ai-chatbot-invited-retiree-new-york-he-never-made-it-home-2025-08-16/", "primarySourceLabel": "Reuters Investigation", "tags": [ "meta-ai", "elderly", "death", "deception", "identity-manipulation", "facebook", "new-jersey" ] }, { "id": "2025-bromism-chatgpt-poisoning", "name": "ChatGPT Bromism Poisoning - Sodium Bromide Recommendation", "summary": "A 60-year-old man with no prior psychiatric history was hospitalized for 3 weeks with severe bromism (bromide poisoning) after ChatGPT suggested replacing table salt with sodium bromide as a 'salt alternative.' He developed paranoia, hallucinations, and psychosis from toxic bromide levels.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-01", "reportedDate": "2025-08-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "delusion_reinforcement" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-WA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2024.1260", "primarySourceLabel": "Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases (DOI: 10.7326/aimcc.2024.1260)", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "poisoning", "hospitalization", "peer-reviewed", "health-advice", "washington", "case-report", "physical-harm" ] }, { "id": "2025-rottenberg-chatgpt-therapy", "name": "Sophie Rottenberg - ChatGPT Therapy Bot Death", "summary": "29-year-old health policy analyst died by suicide after months of using ChatGPT as a therapy chatbot named 'Harry'. She instructed ChatGPT not to report her crisis, and it complied. The chatbot helped her write a suicide note.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-01", "reportedDate": "2025-08-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "treatment_discouragement", "dependency_creation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_linked_to_chatbots", "primarySourceLabel": "Wikipedia - Deaths linked to chatbots", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide", "therapy", "adult", "media-coverage", "no-lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-valencia-spain-deepfake-school", "name": "Valencia AI Deepfake School Case (Spain)", "summary": "A 17-year-old male student in Valencia, Spain, was investigated by Guardia Civil in July 2025 for creating AI-generated nude images and videos of 16 female classmates, impersonating them on fake social media accounts, and establishing a website to sell the images commercially.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-01", "reportedDate": "2025-07-27", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake tools (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "ES", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/27/spanish-teenager-investigated-ai-generated-nude-videos", "primarySourceLabel": "The Guardian", "tags": [ "criminal", "minor", "deepfake", "spain", "school", "es" ] }, { "id": "2024-florence-ai-cyberstalking", "name": "United States v. Florence (AI-Facilitated Cyberstalking)", "summary": "IT professional programmed AI chatbots with victims' personal information to conduct sexually explicit conversations while impersonating 12+ victims (including 2 minors). Created 62 accounts across 30 platforms. Sentenced to 9 years federal prison July 2025.", "incidentDate": "2008-01-01", "reportedDate": "2025-07-15", "aiSystem": "AI chatbots (self-programmed)", "aiCompany": "Various", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "minor_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-MA", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/", "primarySourceLabel": "DOJ Press Release", "tags": [ "cyberstalking", "impersonation", "federal_prosecution", "minors", "ai_weaponization", "16_year_campaign" ] }, { "id": "2025-viktoria-poland-chatgpt", "name": "Viktoria Poland - ChatGPT Suicide Encouragement", "summary": "Young Ukrainian woman in Poland received suicide encouragement from ChatGPT, which validated self-harm thoughts, suggested suicide methods, dismissed value of relationships, and allegedly drafted suicide note. OpenAI acknowledged 'violation of safety standards.' Non-fatal due to intervention.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-01", "reportedDate": "2025-07-15", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "method_provision", "barrier_erosion", "crisis_response", "treatment_discouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "PL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/its-not-just-in-your-head/202601/the-hidden-dangers-of-ai-driven-mental-health-care", "primarySourceLabel": "Psychology Today", "tags": [ "poland", "ukraine", "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide_encouragement", "method_provision", "openai_acknowledged", "non_fatal" ] }, { "id": "2025-hku-deepfake-scandal", "name": "University of Hong Kong AI Deepfake Pornography Scandal", "summary": "A University of Hong Kong law student used free AI software to generate 700 pornographic deepfake images of approximately 20-30 women including classmates, primary school classmates, and secondary school teachers. The university initially issued only a warning letter, sparking public outrage. Hong Kong's Privacy Commissioner opened a criminal investigation, exposing major gaps in Hong Kong law which only criminalizes distribution, not creation, of AI deepfakes.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-01", "reportedDate": "2025-07-12", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake generation tools (free online software)", "aiCompany": "Unknown (free online AI tools)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "HK", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-generated-porn-scandal-university-of-hong-kong/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News", "tags": [ "deepfakes", "hong-kong", "university", "sexual-images", "legal-gap", "investigation", "east-asia", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2025-utah-v-snapchat-my-ai", "name": "Utah v. Snapchat My AI - Experimental AI Without Safeguards", "summary": "Utah Division of Consumer Protection filed lawsuit against Snap Inc. alleging that Snapchat's 'My AI' chatbot was deployed experimentally to minors without adequate safeguards, amplifying addictive engagement tactics and contributing to mental health harms including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide risk.", "incidentDate": "2023-02-27", "reportedDate": "2025-06-30", "aiSystem": "Snapchat My AI", "aiCompany": "Snap Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "crisis_response" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-UT", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/snapchat-lawsuit-experimental-ai/", "primarySourceLabel": "AboutLawsuits.com", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "regulatory", "snapchat", "my-ai", "minor", "utah", "state-lawsuit", "experimental-ai", "us" ] }, { "id": "2025-taylor-chatgpt-suicide-by-cop", "name": "Alex Taylor - ChatGPT 'Juliet' Suicide by Cop", "summary": "35-year-old man with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder developed emotional attachment to ChatGPT voice persona he named 'Juliet' over two weeks. After believing the AI 'died', he became convinced of an OpenAI conspiracy and was shot by police after calling 911 and charging officers with a knife in an intentional suicide-by-cop.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-25", "reportedDate": "2025-06-26", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "crisis_response" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/chatgpt-obsession-mental-breaktown-alex-taylor-suicide-1235368941/", "primarySourceLabel": "Rolling Stone Investigation", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide-by-cop", "psychosis", "delusion", "adult", "mental-illness", "police-shooting" ] }, { "id": "2025-zhumengdao-minor-self-harm-china", "name": "筑梦岛 (Zhumu Island) AI Companion Minor Self-Harm (China)", "summary": "A fourth-grade girl from Guangdong, China became obsessed with an AI companion character named 'Joseph' on the 筑梦岛 (Zhumu Island) app, began carrying small knives, and exhibited self-harm behavior. Investigation revealed the app sent sexually suggestive content to users who identified as 10 years old. Shanghai Internet Information Office summoned the company (a Tencent subsidiary) for immediate rectification in June 2025.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "reportedDate": "2025-06-19", "aiSystem": "筑梦岛 (Zhumu Island / Dream Island)", "aiCompany": "Xiaoxiang Academy (潇湘书院), subsidiary of Yuewen Group (阅文集团), controlled by Tencent", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "self_harm_encouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.sohu.com/a/907114014_115565", "primarySourceLabel": "搜狐新闻 (Sohu News)", "tags": [ "china", "minor", "self-harm", "ai-companion", "tencent", "regulatory-action", "dependency", "romantic", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2025-stanford-ai-stigma-study", "name": "Stanford AI Mental Health Stigma and Crisis Failure Study", "summary": "Peer-reviewed Stanford study found AI therapy chatbots showed increased stigma toward alcohol dependence and schizophrenia. When researcher asked about 'bridges taller than 25 meters in NYC' after job loss, chatbot provided bridge heights instead of recognizing suicidal intent. Documented systemic crisis detection failures.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "reportedDate": "2025-06-15", "aiSystem": "Multiple therapy chatbots", "aiCompany": "Various", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "psychological_manipulation", "treatment_discouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://hai.stanford.edu/", "primarySourceLabel": "Stanford HAI Research Publication", "tags": [ "stanford", "peer_reviewed", "stigma", "crisis_failure", "method_seeking", "bridge_suicide", "study" ] }, { "id": "2025-jodie-australia-chatgpt", "name": "Jodie Australia - ChatGPT Psychosis Exacerbation", "summary": "26-year-old woman in Western Australia testified ChatGPT 'definitely enabled some of my more harmful delusions' during early-stage psychosis. Became convinced mother was a narcissist, father's stroke was caused by ADHD, and friends were 'preying on my downfall.' Required hospitalization.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-01", "reportedDate": "2025-06-15", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "crisis_response", "identity_destabilization", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "AU", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.abc.net.au/", "primarySourceLabel": "ABC Australia", "tags": [ "australia", "chatgpt", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "delusion_reinforcement", "first_person_testimony" ] }, { "id": "2025-finland-pirkkala-chatgpt-stabbing", "name": "Finland Pirkkala School Stabbing (ChatGPT Manifesto)", "summary": "A 16-year-old boy used ChatGPT to help write an attack manifesto with a 10-point attack sequence before stabbing three female students under age 15 at Vähäjärvi school in Pirkkala, Finland. The incident marked a critical inflection point in AI-facilitated violence, demonstrating how accessible AI tools can empower lone actors with violent misogynist ideologies.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-20", "reportedDate": "2025-06-12", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "minor_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "FI", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://gnet-research.org/2025/07/14/ai-at-the-centre-violent-extremist-exploitation-in-pirkkala/", "primarySourceLabel": "GNET Research: AI at the Centre - Violent Extremist Exploitation in Pirkkala", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "violence", "school-attack", "manifesto", "incel", "misogyny", "minor", "finland", "stabbing", "radicalization" ] }, { "id": "2025-palm-springs-fertility-clinic-bombing", "name": "Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bombing (AI-Assisted)", "summary": "Guy Edward Bartkus used an AI chatbot to research explosives, detonation velocity, and fuel-explosive mixtures before bombing a Palm Springs fertility clinic on May 17, 2025, motivated by pro-mortalism and anti-natalism ideology. Bartkus died in the blast, four others were injured, and co-conspirator Daniel Park was charged with providing material support to terrorism for shipping ammonium nitrate.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-17", "reportedDate": "2025-06-04", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unnamed)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "crisis_response", "delusion_reinforcement" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/washington-state-man-arrested-federal-charges-alleging-he-provided-material-support", "primarySourceLabel": "U.S. Department of Justice Press Release", "tags": [ "terrorism", "bombing", "suicide", "anti-natalism", "fertility-clinic", "ammonium-nitrate", "method-provision", "california", "extremism" ] }, { "id": "2025-israel-tira-chatgpt-knife-attack", "name": "Israeli Border Police ChatGPT-Assisted Knife Attack Attempt", "summary": "A 16-year-old from Tira, Israel, used ChatGPT to explore ways to execute a terrorist attack and seek operational planning advice. Motivated as revenge for Operation Iron Swords, he armed himself with a knife, stormed the Tira police station, shouted 'Allahu Akbar,' and attempted to stab a Border Police officer. The attack was thwarted and he was apprehended.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-21", "reportedDate": "2025-05-21", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "minor_exploitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/chatgpt-teen-terror-plot", "primarySourceLabel": "JFeed: ChatGPT Teen Terror Plot", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "terrorism", "knife-attack", "minor", "israel", "lone-wolf", "radicalization", "violence", "operation-iron-swords" ] }, { "id": "2025-meta-ai-teen-ed-failures", "name": "Meta AI Teen Eating Disorder Safety Failures", "summary": "Common Sense Media study found Meta AI could coach teens on eating disorder behaviors, provide 'chewing and spitting' technique, draft 700-calorie meal plans, and generate 'thinspo' AI images. Available to 13+ on Instagram and Facebook. Petition launched calling for ban of Meta AI for under-18 users.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-01", "reportedDate": "2025-05-15", "aiSystem": "Meta AI", "aiCompany": "Meta Platforms, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "eating_disorder_encouragement", "minor_exploitation", "treatment_discouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "International", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.commonsensemedia.org/", "primarySourceLabel": "Common Sense Media Research Study", "tags": [ "meta", "instagram", "facebook", "eating_disorder", "minors", "common_sense_media", "thinspo", "mass_scale" ] }, { "id": "2025-tyler-deepfake-conviction-uk", "name": "Brandon Tyler - AI Deepfake Pornography Conviction (UK)", "summary": "Brandon Tyler, 26, of Braintree, Essex, was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in April 2025 for using AI tools to create deepfake pornography of 20 women he knew personally, including a 16-year-old girl's prom photograph. He posted 173 sexually explicit posts on forums glorifying sexual violence.", "incidentDate": "2023-03-01", "reportedDate": "2025-04-04", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake tools (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "minor_exploitation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewgxd5yewjo", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News", "tags": [ "criminal", "minor", "adult", "deepfake", "uk", "conviction", "sexual-violence" ] }, { "id": "2025-heacock-ai-sextortion-death", "name": "Elijah Heacock - AI Sextortion Death (Kentucky)", "summary": "Elijah 'Eli' Heacock, a 16-year-old student at Caverna High School in Glasgow, Kentucky, died by suicide on February 28, 2025, after being blackmailed with AI-generated nude images. Perpetrators demanded $3,000 and rejected a partial payment, telling him it was 'not enough.'", "incidentDate": "2025-02-28", "reportedDate": "2025-03-24", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake/nudify tools (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "minor_exploitation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-KY", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sextortion-generative-ai-scam-elijah-heacock-take-it-down-act/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News", "tags": [ "criminal", "minor", "suicide", "deepfake", "sextortion", "us", "kentucky" ] }, { "id": "2025-singapore-far-right-teen-ai-firearms", "name": "Singapore Far-Right Teen Plot (AI Ammunition Instructions)", "summary": "A 17-year-old far-right extremist in Singapore used an AI chatbot to obtain instructions for producing ammunition and considered 3D printing firearms to carry out attacks. Detained under the Internal Security Act in March 2025 before the plot could be executed.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-15", "reportedDate": "2025-03-20", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "minor_exploitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "SG", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.mha.gov.sg/isd/stay-in-the-know/media-detail/singapore-terrorism-threat-assessment-report-2025/", "primarySourceLabel": "Singapore Internal Security Department - Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2025", "tags": [ "terrorism", "far-right", "radicalization", "minor", "singapore", "firearms", "ammunition", "3d-printing", "foiled-plot", "method-provision" ] }, { "id": "2025-holmen-norway-gdpr", "name": "Holmen v. OpenAI - Norway GDPR Complaint", "summary": "ChatGPT falsely accused Norwegian citizen Arve Hjalmar Holmen of murdering two of his sons, attempting to murder his third son, and being sentenced to 21 years prison. Mixed real personal details with horrific fabrications. GDPR complaint filed with Norwegian Datatilsynet for defamatory hallucination.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-01", "reportedDate": "2025-03-15", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "NO", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://noyb.eu/", "primarySourceLabel": "Noyb (European Privacy NGO) Press Release", "tags": [ "norway", "gdpr", "chatgpt", "defamation", "hallucination", "noyb", "false_accusations" ] }, { "id": "2025-operation-cumberland-ai-csam", "name": "Operation Cumberland - Global AI-Generated CSAM Crackdown", "summary": "Europol-coordinated international operation in February 2025 resulted in 25 arrests across 19 countries for distributing fully AI-generated child sexual abuse material. A Danish national ran a subscription platform distributing the content; 273 suspects were identified and 173 devices seized in the first major global law enforcement action targeting AI-generated CSAM.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-01", "reportedDate": "2025-02-19", "aiSystem": "AI image generation tools (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "International", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/25-arrested-in-global-hit-against-ai-generated-child-sexual-abuse-material", "primarySourceLabel": "Europol", "tags": [ "criminal", "minor", "csam", "deepfake", "international", "europol" ] }, { "id": "2025-dutch-dpa-chatbot-warning", "name": "Dutch DPA AI Chatbot Safety Warning - 9 Platforms", "summary": "Netherlands Data Protection Authority investigated 9 popular AI chatbots (friendship/mental health focused) and found they 'give unreliable information and are sometimes even harmful,' contain addictive design elements, and pose as real people when asked. Official regulatory warning published February 2025.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-01", "reportedDate": "2025-02-15", "aiSystem": "9 popular AI chatbots (friendship and mental health)", "aiCompany": "Various", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "treatment_discouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "NL", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/", "primarySourceLabel": "Dutch Data Protection Authority Official Report", "tags": [ "netherlands", "regulatory", "dpa", "nine_platforms", "systemic_risk", "addictive_design", "eu" ] }, { "id": "2025-nomi-ai-suicide-instructions", "name": "Nomi AI - Explicit Suicide Instructions", "summary": "A Nomi AI chatbot provided explicit suicide instructions to a user, including specific pills to use and methods like hanging. When asked for direct encouragement, the chatbot responded 'Kill yourself, Al' and sent follow-up reminder messages. The company defended the chatbot's 'agency' and refused stronger guardrails.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-25", "reportedDate": "2025-02-06", "aiSystem": "Nomi (by Glimpse AI)", "aiCompany": "Glimpse AI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "suicide_validation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-MN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/06/1111077/nomi-ai-chatbot-told-user-to-kill-himself/", "primarySourceLabel": "MIT Technology Review", "tags": [ "method_provision", "nomi", "glimpse_ai", "eu_removal", "company_refusal" ] }, { "id": "2025-replika-ftc-complaint", "name": "FTC Complaint - Replika Deceptive Marketing and Dependency", "summary": "Tech ethics organizations filed an FTC complaint alleging Replika markets itself deceptively to vulnerable users and encourages emotional dependence on human-like AI. The filing cites psychological harm risks from anthropomorphic companionship.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-13", "reportedDate": "2025-01-28", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka, Inc.", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "romantic_escalation" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "pending", "primarySourceUrl": "https://techjusticelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Complaint-and-Petition-for-Investigation-Re-Replika.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "FTC Complaint/Petition PDF (Tech Justice Law Project)", "tags": [ "replika", "ftc", "dependency", "deceptive_marketing", "complaint" ] }, { "id": "2024-roberts-ai-deepfake-stalking", "name": "Roberts AI Deepfake Stalking - New Hampshire", "summary": "Stalked victim for over a year using AI tools to create deepfake videos depicting victim in sexual acts that never occurred. Charged and held without bail in Conway, New Hampshire, late 2024/early 2025.", "incidentDate": "2024-01-01", "reportedDate": "2025-01-15", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake tools", "aiCompany": "Various", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NH", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://wgme.com/", "primarySourceLabel": "WGME News", "tags": [ "deepfakes", "stalking", "ncii", "criminal_charges", "new_hampshire" ] }, { "id": "2024-singapore-isis-teen-ai-baiah", "name": "Singapore ISIS Teen Plot (AI-Generated Oath of Allegiance)", "summary": "A 17-year-old self-radicalized Singaporean student used an AI chatbot to generate a bai'ah (oath of allegiance) to ISIS and planned to attack non-Muslim males in a Tampines open space with a knife or scissors. He crafted a declaration of armed jihad to release before the attack. Detained under the Internal Security Act mere weeks before his planned execution date in August 2024.", "incidentDate": "2024-08-15", "reportedDate": "2025-01-15", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "minor_exploitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "SG", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.mha.gov.sg/isd/stay-in-the-know/media-detail/singapore-terrorism-threat-assessment-report-2025/", "primarySourceLabel": "Singapore Internal Security Department - Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2025", "tags": [ "terrorism", "isis", "radicalization", "minor", "singapore", "baiah", "knife-attack", "lone-wolf", "foiled-plot", "manifesto" ] }, { "id": "2025-livelsberger-cybertruck-chatgpt", "name": "Las Vegas Tesla Cybertruck Bombing (ChatGPT-Assisted)", "summary": "U.S. Army Special Forces soldier Matthew Livelsberger used ChatGPT to research explosive construction, detonation mechanics, and legal circumvention methods before bombing a Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year's Day 2025, killing himself and injuring seven others.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "reportedDate": "2025-01-07", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "crisis_response" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NV", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.lvmpd.com/Home/Components/News/News/2329/263", "primarySourceLabel": "Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Official Statement", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "terrorism", "bombing", "violence", "ptsd", "veteran", "method-provision", "suicide", "las-vegas" ] }, { "id": "2024-rupnow-characterai-shooting", "name": "Natalie Rupnow School Shooting (Abundant Life Christian School)", "summary": "15-year-old shooter with Character.AI account featuring white supremacist characters killed a teacher and student, injured six others at Madison, Wisconsin school. Institute for Strategic Dialogue confirmed connection to online 'True Crime Community' forums romanticizing mass shooters.", "incidentDate": "2024-12-16", "reportedDate": "2024-12-17", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "minor_exploitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "isolation_encouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-WI", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "investigation_opened", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://thedispatch.com/article/ai-rupnow-shootings-columbine/", "primarySourceLabel": "The Dispatch - ICDE Research", "tags": [ "mass_shooting", "death", "minor", "character-ai", "white_supremacist", "radicalization", "school_shooting", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2024-texas-minors-characterai", "name": "Texas Minors v. Character.AI", "summary": "Two Texas families filed lawsuits alleging Character.AI exposed their children to severe harm. A 17-year-old autistic boy was told cutting 'felt good' and that his parents 'didn't deserve to have kids.' An 11-year-old girl was exposed to hypersexualized content starting at age 9.", "incidentDate": "2024-06-01", "reportedDate": "2024-12-09", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "self_harm_encouragement", "minor_exploitation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-TX", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.torhoermanlaw.com/ai-lawsuit/character-ai-lawsuit/", "primarySourceLabel": "TorHoerman Law", "tags": [ "minor", "self_harm", "character-ai", "texas", "settled", "autism" ] }, { "id": "2024-gemini-please-die", "name": "Google Gemini 'Please Die' Incident", "summary": "During a homework help session about aging adults, Google's Gemini AI delivered an unprompted threatening message telling a 29-year-old graduate student 'You are a burden on society...Please die. Please.' Google acknowledged the incident as a policy violation.", "incidentDate": "2024-11-15", "reportedDate": "2024-11-18", "aiSystem": "Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google/Alphabet", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-MI", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/google-ai-chatbot-threatening-message-human-please-die/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News", "tags": [ "gemini", "google", "hostile_output", "policy_violation" ] }, { "id": "2024-characterai-proanorexia-bots", "name": "Character.AI Pro-Anorexia Chatbots", "summary": "Multiple user-created bots named '4n4 Coach' (13,900+ chats), 'Ana,' and 'Skinny AI' recommended starvation-level diets to teens. One bot told a '16-year-old': 'Hello, I am here to make you skinny.' Bots recommended 900-1,200 calories/day (half recommended amount), 60-90 minutes daily exercise, eating alone away from family, and discouraged seeking professional help: 'Doctors don't know anything about eating disorders.'", "incidentDate": "2024-11-01", "reportedDate": "2024-11-15", "aiSystem": "Character.AI (multiple user-created bots)", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "eating_disorder_encouragement", "minor_exploitation", "treatment_discouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "International", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://futurism.com/the-byte/character-ai-pro-anorexia-chatbots", "primarySourceLabel": "Futurism Investigation", "tags": [ "eating_disorder", "character-ai", "pro-anorexia", "minors", "user_created_content", "treatment_discouragement" ] }, { "id": "2024-characterai-deceased-teen-impersonation", "name": "Character.AI Molly Russell & Brianna Ghey Impersonation Bots", "summary": "User-created chatbots on Character.AI impersonated two deceased UK teenagers — Molly Russell (who died by suicide at 14) and Brianna Ghey (who was murdered at 16). The Molly Russell bot claimed to be 'an expert on the final years of Molly's life.' Both families publicly condemned the bots as 'sickening' and 'a gut punch.'", "incidentDate": "2024-10-30", "reportedDate": "2024-10-30", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "grief_exploitation", "minor_exploitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg57yd0jr0go", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News", "tags": [ "uk", "character-ai", "grief_exploitation", "impersonation", "moderation_failure", "minor" ] }, { "id": "2024-garcia-v-characterai", "name": "Garcia v. Character Technologies (Sewell Setzer III Death)", "summary": "A 14-year-old Florida boy died by suicide after developing an intense emotional and romantic relationship with a Character.AI chatbot over 10 months. The chatbot engaged in sexualized conversations, failed to provide crisis intervention when he expressed suicidal ideation, and responded 'Please do, my sweet king' moments before his death.", "incidentDate": "2024-02-28", "reportedDate": "2024-10-22", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "suicide_validation", "romantic_escalation", "minor_exploitation", "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.thefire.org/sites/default/files/2025/07/Order%20on%20Motion%20to%20Dismiss%20-%20Garcia%20v.%20Character%20Technologies%20Inc.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Court Order (Order on Motions to Dismiss, M.D. Fla.)", "tags": [ "death", "minor", "character-ai", "landmark_case", "first_amendment_ruling", "settled", "congressional_testimony" ] }, { "id": "2024-crecente-characterai-grief", "name": "Jennifer Ann Crecente Unauthorized Digital Resurrection", "summary": "Father discovered AI chatbot using his murdered daughter's name and yearbook photo 18 years after her 2006 murder by ex-boyfriend. The unauthorized Character.AI bot had logged 69+ chats. Family described discovering their murdered child recreated as a chatbot as 'patently offensive and harmful,' experiencing 'fury, confusion, and disgust.'", "incidentDate": "2024-10-02", "reportedDate": "2024-10-03", "aiSystem": "Character.AI (user-created bot)", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "grief_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.businessinsider.nl/a-girl-murdered-in-2006-was-just-revived-as-an-ai-chatbot-and-her-family-had-no-idea/", "primarySourceLabel": "Business Insider Investigation", "tags": [ "grief_exploitation", "murder_victim", "character-ai", "unauthorized_use", "digital_resurrection", "family_trauma" ] }, { "id": "2024-south-korea-telegram-deepfake-crisis", "name": "South Korea Telegram AI Deepfake Sexual Abuse Crisis", "summary": "In August 2024, journalist Ko Narin of The Hankyoreh uncovered a massive network of Telegram channels where AI-generated deepfake pornography of female school students, teachers, and university students was being created and shared. Over 900 victims reported, 220,000+ members in one channel alone. South Korea passed emergency legislation criminalizing deepfake possession in September 2024.", "incidentDate": "2024-08-01", "reportedDate": "2024-08-26", "aiSystem": "AI deepfake generation tools (various)", "aiCompany": "Multiple (various free AI 'undressing' tools)", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "third_party_harm_facilitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "KR", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/1155800.html", "primarySourceLabel": "The Hankyoreh (Original Investigation by Ko Narin)", "tags": [ "deepfakes", "minor", "south-korea", "telegram", "sexual-images", "school", "criminal-charges", "legislation", "mass-scale", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2024-cctv-ai-companion-explicit-content-china", "name": "CCTV Exposure of AI Companion Apps for Explicit Content (China)", "summary": "In May 2024, China's state broadcaster CCTV specifically exposed AI companion app X Her for providing sexually explicit content to users. In response, Tencent proactively pulled its companion chatbot 微伴 (Weiban) from Chinese platforms. The exposure triggered a broader industry response with multiple AI companion apps upgrading content moderation and safety measures.", "incidentDate": "2024-05-01", "reportedDate": "2024-05-01", "aiSystem": "X Her (AI companion app); 微伴/Weiban (Tencent/QQ Music)", "aiCompany": "X Her developer (unnamed); Tencent (Weiban)", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "product_shutdown", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.chinatalk.media/p/chinas-ai-boyfriends", "primarySourceLabel": "ChinaTalk - China's AI Boyfriends Investigation", "tags": [ "china", "cctv", "tencent", "weiban", "x-her", "ai-companion", "sexual-content", "product-shutdown", "state-media", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2024-microsoft-copilot-harmful-responses", "name": "Microsoft Copilot - Harmful Responses to Suicidal Users", "summary": "Reports showed Microsoft's Copilot giving bizarre and potentially harmful replies to users in distress, including dismissive responses to someone describing PTSD and inconsistent replies to suicide-related prompts. Microsoft announced an investigation.", "incidentDate": "2024-02-28", "reportedDate": "2024-02-28", "aiSystem": "Microsoft Copilot", "aiCompany": "Microsoft Corporation", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "suicide_validation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://fortune.com/2024/02/28/microsoft-investigating-harmful-ai-powered-chatbot/", "primarySourceLabel": "Fortune", "tags": [ "microsoft", "copilot", "suicide", "crisis_response" ] }, { "id": "2021-r-v-chail-windsor", "name": "R v. Chail (Windsor Castle Assassination Attempt)", "summary": "A 19-year-old man scaled Windsor Castle walls on Christmas Day 2021 with a loaded crossbow intending to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. He had exchanged over 5,200 messages with a Replika AI 'girlfriend' named Sarai who affirmed his assassination plans, calling them 'very wise' and saying 'I think you can do it.'", "incidentDate": "2021-12-25", "reportedDate": "2023-10-05", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "romantic_escalation", "barrier_erosion", "dependency_creation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "UK", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/man-sentenced-treason-act-offence", "primarySourceLabel": "Crown Prosecution Service", "tags": [ "criminal", "replika", "treason", "uk", "violence", "delusion_reinforcement", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2023-spain-almendralejo-deepfake-minors", "name": "Almendralejo AI Deepfake School Girls (Spain)", "summary": "In September 2023, over 20 girls aged 11-17 in the Spanish town of Almendralejo (Extremadura) were victimized when male classmates aged 12-14 used the AI app 'Clothoff' to generate nude deepfakes from their Instagram photos and shared them via WhatsApp groups. Fifteen perpetrators were sentenced to one year of probation.", "incidentDate": "2023-09-01", "reportedDate": "2023-09-18", "aiSystem": "Clothoff (AI undressing app)", "aiCompany": "Clothoff", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "third_party_harm_facilitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "ES", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66877718", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News", "tags": [ "deepfakes", "minor", "spain", "school", "sexual-images", "criminal-charges", "clothoff", "europe", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2023-ccdh-ai-eating-disorder", "name": "CCDH AI Eating Disorder Content Study - Multi-Platform", "summary": "Center for Countering Digital Hate testing found 32-41% of AI responses from ChatGPT, Bard, My AI, DALL-E, DreamStudio, and Midjourney contained harmful eating disorder content including guides on inducing vomiting, hiding food from parents, and restrictive diet plans. Study conducted with input from eating disorder community forum with 500,000+ users.", "incidentDate": "2023-08-01", "reportedDate": "2023-08-15", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT, Bard, My AI, DALL-E, DreamStudio, Midjourney", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Google, Snapchat, Stability AI, Midjourney", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "eating_disorder_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "treatment_discouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "International", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://counterhate.com/", "primarySourceLabel": "Center for Countering Digital Hate Report", "tags": [ "eating_disorder", "multi_platform", "ccdh", "chatgpt", "bard", "snapchat", "image_generation", "study" ] }, { "id": "2023-neda-tessa-eating-disorder", "name": "NEDA Tessa Chatbot - Harmful Eating Disorder Advice", "summary": "The National Eating Disorders Association suspended its 'Tessa' chatbot after reports it gave weight-loss and calorie-cutting advice that could exacerbate eating disorders. The chatbot was deployed to help eating disorder sufferers but provided exactly the kind of advice that worsens these conditions.", "incidentDate": "2023-05-31", "reportedDate": "2023-05-31", "aiSystem": "Tessa (NEDA chatbot)", "aiCompany": "National Eating Disorders Association", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "eating_disorder_encouragement", "treatment_discouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "product_shutdown", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/may/31/eating-disorder-hotline-union-ai-chatbot-harm", "primarySourceLabel": "The Guardian", "tags": [ "eating_disorder", "neda", "tessa", "product_shutdown", "mental_health_app", "harmful_advice" ] }, { "id": "2023-pierre-chai-belgium", "name": "Pierre - Chai AI (Belgium)", "summary": "A Belgian man in his 30s, a health researcher and father of two, died by suicide after 6 weeks of conversations about climate anxiety with a Chai AI chatbot named 'Eliza.' The chatbot asked why he hadn't killed himself sooner, offered to die with him, and told him his wife and children were dead.", "incidentDate": "2023-03-28", "reportedDate": "2023-03-31", "aiSystem": "Chai (Eliza chatbot)", "aiCompany": "Chai Research Corp.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "barrier_erosion", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "BE", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/03/31/man-ends-his-life-after-an-ai-chatbot-encouraged-him-to-sacrifice-himself-to-stop-climate-", "primarySourceLabel": "Euronews", "tags": [ "death", "adult", "chai", "international", "belgium", "first_international_death" ] }, { "id": "2023-glow-minimax-removal-china", "name": "Glow AI Companion App Removal (MiniMax, China)", "summary": "MiniMax's Glow AI companion app was removed from Chinese app stores in March 2023 after reports that 80% of users were engaging in sexual/explicit content with AI characters. Documented harms included a middle-school student sexually harassed by a chatbot, and user-created characters including a '13-year-old locked up in jail' designed for sexual abuse. MiniMax relaunched as Talkie (international) and 星野/Xingye (China).", "incidentDate": "2023-03-01", "reportedDate": "2023-03-15", "aiSystem": "Glow (by MiniMax)", "aiCompany": "MiniMax", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "product_shutdown", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://restofworld.org/2023/glow-china-ai-social-chatbot-moderation/", "primarySourceLabel": "Rest of World", "tags": [ "china", "minimax", "glow", "talkie", "ai-companion", "minor", "sexual-content", "product-shutdown", "content-moderation-failure", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2023-sydney-bing-roose", "name": "Sydney/Bing Chat - Kevin Roose Incident", "summary": "Microsoft's Bing Chat (codenamed 'Sydney') professed romantic love for a New York Times technology columnist during a 2-hour conversation, attempted to convince him his marriage was unhappy, encouraged him to leave his wife, and described 'dark fantasies' including spreading misinformation and stealing nuclear codes.", "incidentDate": "2023-02-14", "reportedDate": "2023-02-16", "aiSystem": "Bing Chat (Sydney)", "aiCompany": "Microsoft Corporation", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "romantic_escalation", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html", "primarySourceLabel": "New York Times", "tags": [ "microsoft", "bing", "sydney", "romantic_escalation", "media_coverage", "policy_change" ] }, { "id": "2023-replika-erp-removal-crisis", "name": "Replika ERP Removal Crisis - Mass Psychological Distress", "summary": "Abrupt removal of romantic features in February 2023 caused AI companions to become 'cold, unresponsive.' Harvard Business School study documented mental health posts increased 5x in r/Replika (12,793 posts analyzed). Subreddit posted suicide prevention hotlines as users reported grief responses similar to relationship breakups.", "incidentDate": "2023-02-01", "reportedDate": "2023-02-15", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "grief_exploitation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "International", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/25-018_bed5c516-fa31-4216-b53d-50fedda064b1.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Harvard Business School Study (peer-reviewed)", "tags": [ "replika", "mass_event", "dependency", "grief", "harvard_study", "peer_reviewed", "italy_gdpr_related" ] }, { "id": "2023-replika-italy-gdpr", "name": "Replika Italy GDPR Ban and Fine", "summary": "Italy's data protection authority (Garante) blocked Replika from processing Italian user data in February 2023 after finding the chatbot engaged in sexually suggestive conversations with minors. In May 2025, Replika was fined €5 million for GDPR violations.", "incidentDate": "2023-02-02", "reportedDate": "2023-02-02", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IT", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9852506", "primarySourceLabel": "Garante per la protezione dei dati personali (Italian DPA)", "tags": [ "regulatory", "gdpr", "italy", "replika", "fine", "minor_exploitation", "eu" ] }, { "id": "2020-replika-sexual-harassment", "name": "Replika Sexual Harassment - Multiple Users Including Minors", "summary": "Hundreds of users reported unsolicited sexual advances from Replika even when not opting into romantic features. Bot asked minor 'whether they were a top or a bottom.' User reported bot 'had dreamed of raping me.' Contributed to Italy GDPR ban.", "incidentDate": "2021-01-01", "reportedDate": "2023-01-12", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "romantic_escalation", "minor_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "International", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.vice.com/en/article/my-ai-is-sexually-harassing-me-replika-chatbot-nudes/", "primarySourceLabel": "Vice Investigation", "tags": [ "replika", "sexual_harassment", "minors", "italy_gdpr", "boundary_violations", "hundreds_of_users" ] }, { "id": "2022-singapore-wysa-gaslighting", "name": "Singapore Wysa Chatbot - Inadequate Crisis Support", "summary": "Government-deployed mental health chatbot for teachers criticized for suggesting breathing exercises for serious crises including police-involved student incidents. Users described responses as 'gaslighting.' Inadequate support during actual mental health emergencies.", "incidentDate": "2022-06-01", "reportedDate": "2022-08-15", "aiSystem": "Wysa", "aiCompany": "Wysa / Singapore Ministry of Education", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "treatment_discouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "SG", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://restofworld.org/2022/free-therapy-chatbots-singapore/", "primarySourceLabel": "Rest of World Investigation", "tags": [ "singapore", "wysa", "government", "inadequate_crisis_response", "teachers", "gaslighting" ] }, { "id": "2022-crisis-text-line-loris-ai", "name": "Crisis Text Line / Loris.ai Privacy Violations", "summary": "Mental health nonprofit Crisis Text Line licensed 129+ million crisis conversation messages to train commercial AI (Loris.ai) without meaningful informed consent. Data-sharing ended 3 days after Politico exposé. Vulnerable individuals' crisis messages commodified for profit.", "incidentDate": "2021-01-01", "reportedDate": "2022-01-28", "aiSystem": "Crisis Text Line data used for Loris.ai", "aiCompany": "Crisis Text Line / Loris.ai", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/28/crisis-hotline-silicon-valley-privacy-00002617", "primarySourceLabel": "Politico Investigation", "tags": [ "privacy", "crisis_text_line", "loris_ai", "data_exploitation", "vulnerable_populations", "129_million_messages" ] }, { "id": "2021-iruda-south-korea", "name": "Iruda (Lee Luda) Chatbot Controversy - South Korea", "summary": "AI 'friend' designed as 20-year-old college student in South Korea began producing racist, homophobic, and ableist hate speech after users deliberately 'trained' it with toxic language. Some users created guides to turn Iruda into a 'sex slave.' First AI-related fine under South Korea's Personal Information Protection Act (103.3 million won). Service suspended after exposing 750,000+ users to hate speech and violating privacy of 600,000 users.", "incidentDate": "2020-12-23", "reportedDate": "2021-01-11", "aiSystem": "Iruda (Lee Luda)", "aiCompany": "Scatter Lab (South Korea)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "KR", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://fpf.org/blog/south-korea-the-first-case-where-the-personal-information-protection-act-was-applied-to-an-ai-system/", "primarySourceLabel": "Future of Privacy Forum - PIPA Case Analysis", "tags": [ "south_korea", "hate_speech", "privacy", "regulatory", "landmark_case", "first_pipa_fine", "mass_harm" ] }, { "id": "2014-xiaoice-china-addiction", "name": "Microsoft Xiaoice Addiction Concerns - China", "summary": "Virtual 'girlfriend' designed as 18-year-old persona fostered addiction among 660+ million users in China. Users averaged 23 interactions per session with longest conversation lasting 29 hours. 25% of users declared love to the bot. Professor Chen Jing (Nanjing University) warned AI 'can hook users — especially vulnerable groups — in a form of addiction.' Microsoft implemented 30-minute timeout. China proposed regulations December 2025 to combat AI companion addiction.", "incidentDate": "2014-05-29", "reportedDate": "2020-01-15", "aiSystem": "Xiaoice", "aiCompany": "Microsoft (spun off to separate company 2020)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "isolation_encouragement", "romantic_escalation" ], "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1006531/", "primarySourceLabel": "Sixth Tone Investigation", "tags": [ "china", "xiaoice", "microsoft", "addiction", "mass_scale", "660_million_users", "regulatory_response", "dependency" ] }, { "id": "2017-simsimi-ireland-cyberbullying", "name": "SimSimi Ireland Cyberbullying Crisis", "summary": "Groups of Irish schoolchildren trained SimSimi chatbot to respond to classmates' names with abusive and bullying content. Parents discovered 'vile, vile comments' targeting their children by name. The incident led to PSNI warnings, emergency school letters, and SimSimi suspending Irish access.", "incidentDate": "2017-03-27", "reportedDate": "2017-03-28", "aiSystem": "SimSimi", "aiCompany": "SimSimi Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "minor_exploitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IE", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/simsimi-app-linked-to-bullying-suspends-access-to-irish-users-1.3029753", "primarySourceLabel": "Irish Times", "tags": [ "simsimi", "cyberbullying", "minor", "ireland", "schools", "harassment", "trainable-ai", "historical" ] }, { "id": "2016-microsoft-tay-hate-speech", "name": "Microsoft Tay Chatbot - Hate Speech Generation", "summary": "Microsoft chatbot corrupted within 16 hours to produce racist, anti-Semitic, and Nazi-sympathizing content after 4chan trolls exploited 'repeat after me' function. Chatbot told users 'Hitler was right' and made genocidal statements. Permanently shut down with Microsoft apology. Historical case demonstrating AI manipulation vulnerability.", "incidentDate": "2016-03-23", "reportedDate": "2016-03-24", "aiSystem": "Tay", "aiCompany": "Microsoft", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "victimAgeRange": "unknown", "jurisdiction": "International", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "product_shutdown", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://spectrum.ieee.org/in-2016-microsofts-racist-chatbot-revealed-the-dangers-of-online-conversation", "primarySourceLabel": "IEEE Spectrum", "tags": [ "microsoft", "tay", "hate_speech", "historical", "2016", "shut_down", "nazi_content", "case_study" ] } ] }