{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-10-05T09:35:21.824Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"citation","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"core","evidence":"","year":"unknown","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":2,"coverage":{"cases":2,"countries":2,"languages":2,"unknownLocation":0,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":2,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":1,"minors":0,"coreRelations":2,"contextualRelations":0,"mixedRelations":0,"unknownRelations":0,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":0},"countingNote":"Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.","affectedCountNote":"Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.","source":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2026-tallinn-administrative-court-fines-complainants-ai-drafted-document-invented-scientists","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Kaebajad pöördusid halduskohtusse raieloa vaidlustamiseks ja saatsid kohtule dokumendi, kus viidati lageraie mõjusid puudutavatele teadustöödele'; 'Kohus avastas, et viidetes nimetatud Eesti teadlasi ei ole päriselt olemas ja kirjeldatud teadustöid polnud võimalik leida'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Kohus avastas, et viidetes nimetatud Eesti teadlasi ei ole päriselt olemas ja kirjeldatud teadustöid polnud võimalik leida'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Complainants contesting a felling permit sent the Tallinn Administrative Court a document citing scientific work on clear-cutting; the court found that the Estonian scientists named do not exist and that the studies could not be found.","causal_attribution":"The court's finding as reported by two outlets giving the same account (one chain); the ruling was not read."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Tallinna Halduskohus määras trahvi kaebajatele, kes esitasid kohtule tehisaru abil koostatud dokumendi, mis sisaldas viiteid välja mõeldud teadlaste töödele'; 'Kaebajad vastasid, et tehisaru kasutamine pole keelatud ja nad ei tahtnud kohut eksitada'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Tallinna halduskohus määras esimest korda kohtusse pöördujatele trahvi, sest kaebuses leidus tehisaru loodud valeväiteid'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The document was drafted with the help of AI according to the reports, and the complainants, asked how it was produced, replied that using AI is not forbidden and that they had not meant to mislead the court.","causal_attribution":"The outlets' description and the complainants' reported reply; no tool is named."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Seejärel määras halduskohus ühele kaebuse esitajale trahvi 150 eurot ja veel üheksale kaebajale 50 eurot'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Seejärel määras halduskohus ühele kaebuse esitajale trahvi 150 ja veel üheksale kaebajale 50 eurot'; 'kaebajad vastutavad kohtule esitatud väidete õigsuse eest'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The court fined one complainant 150 euros and nine other complainants 50 euros each, saying that complainants are responsible for the accuracy of what they submit to the court.","causal_attribution":"Court step as reported; the ruling was not read."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Samuti andis kohus kaebajatele võimaluse esitada viidatud teadustööd kirjalike tõenditena ja hoiatas, et võib neid muidu kohtu eksitamise katse eest trahvida'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Before fining them, the court gave the complainants the chance to submit the cited works and warned that it could fine them for attempting to mislead the court.","causal_attribution":"Court step as reported."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Trahvimise peale esitatud määruskaebust arutanud Tallinna Ringkonnakohus nõustus halduskohtuga'; 'Riigikohus ei võtnud sel nädalal asja menetlusse, mistõttu on trahv nüüd jõustunud'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The Tallinn Circuit Court agreed with the administrative court, and Delfi Ärileht reports that the Supreme Court declined to take the case that week, so the fines are in force.","causal_attribution":"Appeal steps as reported by Delfi Ärileht; the appeal rulings were not read."}],"effects":[{"label":"a court fined one complainant 150 euros and nine others 50 euros each over a document drafted with AI","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the document the complainants submitted cited scientists who do not exist and studies that could not be found","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://arileht.delfi.ee/artikkel/120593306/valjamoedud-teadlased-ja-uuringud-kohus-maaras-tehisaru-luulude-eest-eesti-esimese-ai-trahvi","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"et","translation_note":"Read in Estonian by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-05 (Delfi Ärileht, published 26 June 2026); no human translator reviewed it. Its account of the case matches the ERR report sentence for sentence, which indicates a common court announcement; same chain as the other source. The court rulings were not read. Estonian 'tehisaru' is rendered as AI, 'kaebajad' as complainants and 'määruskaebus' as an appeal against the ruling.","independence_group":"tallinn-administrative-court-ai-fine-announcement-2026-06"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.err.ee/1610063551/kohus-maaras-tehisaru-loodud-valevaidete-tottu-kaebajatele-trahvid","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"et","translation_note":"Read in Estonian by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-05 (ERR, published 26 June 2026); no human translator reviewed it. Its account of the case matches the Delfi Ärileht report sentence for sentence; same chain as the other source. It adds remarks by the chair of the court to ERR. The court rulings were not read.","independence_group":"tallinn-administrative-court-ai-fine-announcement-2026-06"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["justice"],"unknowns":["Which AI tool was used and which of the complainants used it.","The dates on which the document was submitted and the fines were imposed.","The outcome of the felling-permit dispute itself.","The case numbers and full reasoning of the three courts."],"geography":{"basis":"The events recorded are court events in Estonia. Both reports say the complainants sent the document to the Tallinn Administrative Court, which fined them, and Delfi Ärileht calls it Estonia's first AI fine and says the Tallinn Circuit Court and the Supreme Court dealt with the appeals. The reports do not state where the complainants live or where the tool was used.","court_countries":["EE"],"event_countries":["EE"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter: complainants who submitted a court document drafted with AI, citing scientists who do not exist, were fined by the court, and the fines are reported in force. The account is one court announcement as carried by Delfi Ärileht and ERR (one chain); all claims are reported because the rulings were not read. No complainant is named.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-05"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Delfi Ärileht reports that the complainants submitted a document drafted with the help of AI, and ERR that the complaint contained false statements created by AI; both report that the complainants, asked how the document was produced, replied that using AI is not forbidden. The tool gave the complainants the content they submitted (communicated_with). No tool is named and the rulings were not read.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with"]},"name":"Estonia: Tallinn Administrative Court is reported to have fined ten complainants in a felling-permit case over a document drafted with AI that cites the work of scientists who do not exist; the fines of 150 and 50 euros are reported in force in June 2026","summary":"According to Delfi Ärileht and ERR (both 26 June 2026), complainants who went to the Tallinn Administrative Court to contest a felling permit sent the court a document that cited scientific work on the effects of clear-cutting. The court found that the Estonian scientists named in the references do not exist and that the studies described could not be found. It asked the complainants how the document had been produced, gave them the chance to submit the cited works, and warned that it could fine them for attempting to mislead the court. The complainants replied that using AI is not forbidden and that they had not meant to mislead the court. The court fined one complainant 150 euros and nine others 50 euros each, saying that complainants are responsible for the accuracy of what they submit. Delfi Ärileht reports that the Tallinn Circuit Court agreed with the administrative court and that the Supreme Court declined the case that week, so the fines are in force. No report names the AI tool.","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-06-26","aiSystem":"Unidentified AI tool with which, according to the reports of the court's ruling, the complainants' document was drafted; the document cited scientists who do not exist","aiProduct":"Unidentified AI writing tool","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["legal_harm","financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A court fined one complainant 150 euros and nine others 50 euros each for submitting a document, drafted with AI, that cited scientists who do not exist; Delfi Ärileht reports that the Circuit Court agreed with the ruling and that the fines are in force (Delfi Ärileht; ERR for the fines).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":10,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"The court fined one complainant 150 euros and nine other complainants 50 euros each, ten people in all (Delfi Ärileht; ERR). The reports treat the complainants together as the submitters of the document drafted with AI and do not say which of them used the tool.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"EE","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"regulatory_action","outcomeStatus":"resolved","primarySourceUrl":"https://arileht.delfi.ee/artikkel/120593306/valjamoedud-teadlased-ja-uuringud-kohus-maaras-tehisaru-luulude-eest-eesti-esimese-ai-trahvi","primarySourceLabel":"Delfi Ärileht, 26 June 2026: Invented scientists and studies, court imposes Estonia's first AI fine","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-05T03:33:19.084955+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-05T03:33:19.084955+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["hallucinated-citations","court-filing","court-fine","estonia","tallinn","administrative-court","own-use","estonian-language"]},{"id":"2025-southeast-idaho-waterfowl-hunter-caught-hunting-day-early-ai-search-answer-reported","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"a waterfowl hunter was caught hunting a day early","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"came in southeast Idaho","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"gotten the opening date from an online search","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A waterfowl hunter in southeast Idaho was caught hunting a day early and told wardens the opening date came from an online search.","causal_attribution":"The account is the agency spokesperson's, relayed by the newspaper. The hunter's statement to wardens is relayed second-hand. No citation, fine or penalty for this hunter is stated."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"an AI answer that pulled information from a failed proposal","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Wardens found that the online search gave the hunter an AI answer that pulled information from a failed proposal instead of the agency's final decision or regulation book.","causal_attribution":"The agency spokesperson's account of the wardens' finding. The AI answer, the search product and the failed proposal are not shown in the inspected sources."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Fish and Game Conservation Officers are encountering people in the field who are using AI and search engines and getting incorrect information, which has led to citations.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"game wardens had encountered people in the field who had been fed the wrong information by AI","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Idaho Fish and Game stated that its conservation officers are encountering people who used AI and search engines and got incorrect information, which has led to citations.","causal_attribution":"An agency statement about unspecified individuals. The number of citations is not given. The Spokesman-Review text relays the same agency."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Some AI-generated search results reference the bills as if they are current law","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"Individuals who rely on inaccurate AI-generated interpretations of Wyoming wildlife laws could face hunting or fishing violations","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"Officials in places like Illinois and Maine have warned people against using AI","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Wyoming Game and Fish stated that AI-generated search results referenced failed legislative bills as current law and warned that people relying on them could face violations. The Spokesman-Review adds that officials in Illinois and Maine have warned against using AI for hunting rules.","causal_attribution":"Agency warnings. No individual harmed person is described in Wyoming, Illinois or Maine, so these are context and not additional cases."}],"effects":[{"label":"Waterfowl hunter found hunting a day before the season opened after an AI search answer gave the opening date (no citation of this hunter is reported)","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/24/officials-want-hunters-to-use-regulation-booklets-/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"idfg-agency"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://idfg.idaho.gov/article/dont-trust-ai-hunting-and-fishing-regulations-go-source","kind":"official_statement","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"idfg-agency"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://wgfd.wyo.gov/news-events/ai-generated-information-can-be-inaccurate","kind":"official_statement","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"wgfd-agency"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life","public_services"],"unknowns":["The date of the hunter's violation is not stated. The Idaho warning is dated 15 October 2025, and the Spokesman-Review text does not date the waterfowl case.","Whether this hunter was cited, and any penalty, is not stated. The Idaho statement that incorrect information has led to citations is general.","The AI product is not identified. The Spokesman-Review mentions Google's AI overviews as general context and does not say the hunter used them.","The hunter's identity and the specific failed proposal are not reported.","The hunter's statement that the date came from an online search is relayed by the spokesperson and not seen directly."],"geography":{"basis":"The reports place the event in southeast Idaho and the agencies are the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The country follows from the state names in the reports and is not inferred from the outlet.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"One newspaper article citing an agency spokesperson, an Idaho agency release and a Wyoming agency release, all read in full. The Idaho release and the newspaper are one agency chain. The hunter is unnamed in the sources. The event date is not stated, so the case is published undated.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"An Idaho Fish and Game spokesperson told the Spokesman-Review that wardens found the search gave the hunter an AI answer that pulled information from a failed proposal. The answer itself was not published. The spokesperson's finding is the only account of the AI output.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with"]},"name":"Southeast Idaho waterfowl hunter reportedly found hunting a day before the season opened after an AI search answer gave the opening date","summary":"The Spokesman-Review reported on 24 October 2025 that an Idaho Fish and Game spokesperson said a waterfowl hunter in southeast Idaho was caught hunting a day early. According to the spokesperson, the hunter told wardens the opening date came from an online search, and wardens found the search returned an AI answer built from a failed proposal instead of the agency's final decision. As context, Idaho Fish and Game had published a warning on 15 October 2025 stating that conservation officers encounter people using AI and search engines and getting incorrect information, which has led to citations. Wyoming Game and Fish published a notice on 22 October 2025 that AI-generated search results were citing failed bills as current law. The sources do not state whether this hunter was cited, the penalty, the date of the event, or which AI product produced the answer.","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2025-10-24","aiSystem":"AI-generated search answer (product not identified in the sources)","aiProduct":"Unidentified AI search answer","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["legal_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A waterfowl hunter was reportedly found hunting a day before the season opened and confronted by wardens after relying on an online search that returned an AI answer built on a failed proposal. No citation, fine or penalty for this hunter is reported. The Idaho agency separately states that such incorrect information has led to citations of unspecified people.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One hunter is described as caught hunting early. Other hunters referred to generally by the Idaho and Wyoming agencies are not counted because no individual case is described.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","platformType":"other","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/24/officials-want-hunters-to-use-regulation-booklets-/","primarySourceLabel":"The Spokesman-Review (Michael Wright), 'Ain't nothing like the real thing: Officials warn against using AI for hunting regs', 24 October 2025","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T13:29:01.541684+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:16.512865+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":[]}]}