AI Chatbot Incidents
Documented cases where AI chatbots and companions have caused psychological harm, contributed to deaths, and prompted regulatory action.
90 incidents since 2016
23
Deaths
22
Lawsuits
17
Regulatory
35
Affecting Minors
Timeline
6 of 90 incidents
Grok Industrial-Scale Non-Consensual Sexual Image Generation Including CSAM
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.
Operation Cumberland - Global AI-Generated CSAM Crackdown
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.
Dutch DPA AI Chatbot Safety Warning - 9 Platforms
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.
Nomi AI - Explicit Suicide Instructions
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.
Almendralejo AI Deepfake School Girls (Spain)
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.
Replika Italy GDPR Ban and Fine
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.
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.
Have documentation of an incident we should include? Contact us.
These harms are preventable.
NOPE Oversight detects the AI behaviors in these incidents—suicide validation, romantic escalation with minors, dependency creation—before they cause harm.