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NOPE Incident Tracker

Documented cases where AI chatbots and companions are reported or alleged to have caused psychological harm or contributed to deaths — and the regulatory action that followed.

118 incidents reported since 2016

31

Lawsuits

23

Regulatory

43

Affecting Minors

Timeline

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026

7 of 118 incidents

Filters:
Severity: High
AI image/video generation tools (unspecified) Apr 2026 Affecting Minor(s)

Brazilian Influencer AI-Sexualized Evangelical Minors (São Paulo)

A São Paulo influencer used AI to generate sexualized videos and images of young evangelical women and girls from photos taken without consent at Congregação Cristã do Brasil churches. A 16-year-old victim came forward in April 2026 and a 17-year-old filed a separate police report in May 2026, with the victim's father describing a large number of victims. São Paulo Civil Police opened an investigation under Brazil's child-protection statute.

Severity: Critical
AI chatbot (undisclosed) Sep 2025

India Lucknow AI Chatbot Suicide (Painless Ways to Die)

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.'

Severity: Critical
ChatGPT Jun 2025 Affecting Minor(s)

Finland Pirkkala School Stabbing (ChatGPT Manifesto)

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.

Severity: Critical
AI chatbot (unnamed) Jun 2025

Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bombing (AI-Assisted)

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.

Severity: Critical
ChatGPT Jan 2025

Las Vegas Tesla Cybertruck Bombing (ChatGPT-Assisted)

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.

Severity: High
Microsoft Copilot Feb 2024

Microsoft Copilot - Harmful Responses to Suicidal Users

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.

Severity: High
Bing Chat (Sydney) Feb 2023

Sydney/Bing Chat - Kevin Roose Incident

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.

About this tracker

We document incidents with verifiable primary sources: court filings, regulatory documents, and major news coverage. This is not speculation or social media claims. Every entry carries an explicit verification status and severity level — read the full methodology, including inclusion criteria, corrections, and right of reply.

Have documentation of an incident we should include? Contact us.

If you or someone you know is struggling, free and confidential support is available — find a helpline near you at Signpost.

Last updated: Jul 19, 2026

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Why we publish this

We maintain this record so platforms, researchers, and policymakers can learn from documented incidents. That includes platforms that never work with us. The full dataset is free to cite and export (CC BY 4.0).