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NOPE · AI and people

AI incidents

Reports of AI-related harm and adverse experiences affecting people’s safety, wellbeing, rights and livelihoods. Explore what happened and the evidence available.

NOPE’s core concern is when AI communicates with a person, acts on their behalf, or depicts or impersonates them. The tracker is wider: it also records consequential decisions and claims about people. Each account is reviewed for publication; claims may remain uncorroborated or disputed. How we review and count cases

In this selection

Published cases
315
Countries with reported events
34
Located 235 of 315 cases · 80 unknown
Languages in checked sources
32
Recorded for 295 of 315 cases

73 cases have no reviewed AI-to-person relation yet: 53 not yet reviewed and 20 reviewed as unknown. Show these cases

These figures describe the cases collected by NOPE. Coverage varies with discovery, reporting and available evidence. They do not estimate how often AI-related harm occurs.

Response counts currently use each case’s principal recorded outcome. Further proceedings may be described in its account.

Cases in this selection, counted once in their first known event year. A series may continue beyond that year. Reporting and collection dates are excluded. NOPE has searched recent events more thoroughly than earlier years, so bar heights also reflect collection effort.

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315 of 392 published cases · page 1 of 16

Event date unknownHong Kong SAR ChinaUnidentified video tool

Hong Kong police report deepfake romance-investment fraud targeting people across Asia

Hong Kong police described a syndicate that used deepfake romantic personas to induce investments by people in Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. SCMP reported alleged criminal proceeds exceeding HK$34 million and a January 2025 operation arresting thirty-one suspects. An official police budget reply separately identifies that January operation and the amount involved. The first scam date, number of affected people and individual loss allocations are unknown. A different October 2024 operation involving twenty-seven arrests is kept separate.

Core concern Medium reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 3 sources, 1 underlying account · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownEvent location unknownMeta AI

Instagram users report they could not block Meta's AI character profiles

Axios reported that Instagram users could not block, restrict or report Meta's AI character accounts. Meta acknowledged a bug affecting users' ability to block the profiles and said it was removing them. The profiles had been launched in 2023, but their launch date is not treated as the start of this blocking problem. Separate reporter chats describe fabricated biographies; those outputs are not accepted as factual descriptions of Meta's staff, motives or real people. The affected user count and first blocking-failure date are unknown.

AI relation unknown Low reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 2 sources · Added 30/09/2026

Nov 2025United StatesAmazon Buy for Me

Mochi Kids owner reports unwanted Amazon AI-agent orders and partner distrust

Mochi Kids' owner told Modern Retail that she received about sixteen Buy for Me orders from November 2025, fulfilling some before discovering their Amazon origin. She said she had chosen to avoid Amazon and subsequently cancelled orders. A wholesale partner that prohibited Amazon sales contacted her after finding its products listed, and she had to explain she had not intentionally listed them. She described distrust. Amazon says its AI purchasing service supports an email opt-out; the source establishes no net financial loss.

AI relation unknown Low reported severity

AI involvement supported · Causal attribution alleged · 2 sources · Added 30/09/2026

Dec 2025United StatesAmazon Buy for Me

Bobo Design Studio owner reports unwanted Amazon AI-agent orders and refunds

Bobo Design Studio's owner told Modern Retail that Amazon's Buy for Me service exposed her catalogue and placed orders through her Shopify store without her opting in. In late December 2025 she discovered orders for unavailable or removed products and cancelled purchases and issued refunds. She described loss of control and pursued an opt-out. Amazon says Buy for Me uses AI agents to place purchases for customers and says businesses can opt out. The source of an incorrect product image is unknown; it is not attributed to AI generation.

AI relation unknown Low reported severity

AI involvement supported · Causal attribution alleged · 2 sources · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownIndiaUnidentified voice-cloning tool

Indore police report Rs 1.83 lakh loss after a voice impersonation of a relative

Indore police told The Times of India that a local resident transferred Rs 1.83 lakh after callers used a purported AI-generated voice to impersonate his brother-in-law abroad. The callers claimed an expired visa would lead to imprisonment or job loss unless fees were paid. The victim discovered the fraud after speaking to the real relative the next day. Police said they coordinated account freezes and were working on recovery. The first call date and recovery outcome are unknown.

Core concern Medium reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownUnited StatesUnidentified video tool

Utah buyer reports spending over $400 after a purported Oprah deepfake supplement ad

A Utah buyer told KSL that an apparent Oprah supplement advertisement persuaded her to spend over $400. She said the product did not match what had been represented and wanted a refund. A KSL follow-up in March 2026 explicitly described this same purchase as triggered by Oprah's deepfake doppelganger. The woman received supplements, so the payment is not treated as proof that the full sum was unrecoverably lost. Her purchase date is unknown.

Core concern Low reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 2 sources, 1 underlying account · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownUnited StatesUnidentified image tool (suspected)

Houston influencer reports fear, reputational damage and loss after fabricated sexual images

Houston Public Media reported police allegations that a gun-store co-owner created sexual images and fake social-media accounts impersonating an influencer. According to the reported court documents, she described fear, anxiety, humiliation, reputational damage and financial loss. The source says the accused described using “AI or Photoshop”, leaving the method unresolved. His business emphasised that the allegations were unproven. No conviction or loss amount is established.

Core concern Medium reported severity

AI involvement suspected · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Mar 2025United StatesUnidentified image tool

Police report juvenile charge over AI sexual images of Council Rock classmates

The Bucks County Courier Times reported that Newtown Township police charged a juvenile after an allegation that he used AI to create sexual images of female classmates. The incident reportedly occurred in March 2025. The source gives an upper estimate of as many as twelve girls and says sharing was unknown; it does not establish a numeric minimum. The specific charges and later juvenile case outcome were not disclosed.

Core concern Medium reported severity Involving minors

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownUnited StatesUnidentified image tool

Iowa students report distress and lack of support after AI sexual images

KCRG reported that Cascade High School students said classmates used AI apps to create sexual images of them. At a district meeting, students described humiliation, fear of being judged and feeling silenced. One said no one at school had offered her counselling. The superintendent said counselling was available and promised policy work. The sheriff said several female students were targets but that the total was unknown. The first image date is not established.

Core concern Medium reported severity Involving minors

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownUnited StatesUnidentified image tool

New Hampshire families report school distress after AI sexual images of three girls

Parents of three Goffstown middle-school girls told Boston 25 that classmates used an AI app to create and share sexual images of their children. They described fear of peers, reluctance to attend school and concern about the district's response. Parents said the school first notified them in early October 2025. The reproduced district statement cited privacy limits and its commitment to student safety, without confirming the specific disciplinary allegations. The first image date is unknown.

Core concern Medium reported severity Involving minors

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownEvent location unknownUnidentified image tool

Bitcoin adviser reports client lost retirement savings after a romance scam using AI photos

BitDegree reports an account by Bitcoin adviser Terence Michael about a client who transferred his retirement savings to someone posing as a trader and romantic partner. Michael reportedly tried to stop the transfers and said the scammer later admitted using AI-generated photos. The client also bought a plane ticket. The original social post could not be read directly, and the client's identity, location and first event date are unknown. A later explanatory article's detailed live-deepfake claims are not independently established.

Core concern Medium reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 2 sources, 1 underlying account · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownUnited StatesUnidentified video tool

Washington trooper alleges AI video was circulated as workplace harassment

A Washington State Patrol trooper's attorney told FOX 13 that coworkers circulated a deepfake AI video falsely depicting the trooper in an intimate interaction with another coworker. The attorney described the video as harassment based on sexual orientation. The agency said it valued employees' dignity and declined to comment on pending litigation. The video's first date, creator and circulation extent are unknown; earlier job and disciplinary allegations are separate.

Core concern Medium reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownCanadaUnidentified video tool

Reports describe Markham woman losing C$1.7 million after a purported Musk deepfake

Reports relaying a W5 investigation describe a 51-year-old Markham woman who lost about C$1.7 million after a purported AI-altered Elon Musk investment video on Facebook. She reportedly mortgaged her home, borrowed from family and friends and used credit cards while being shown apparent profits. Withdrawal demands for fees and taxes led to further payments. The underlying W5 interview was not independently inspected in full; both written reports share that chain.

Core concern High reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 2 sources, 1 underlying account · Added 30/09/2026

Aug 2025United StatesUnidentified image tool

Louisiana girl reports bullying and school exclusion after AI sexual-image abuse

AP reported that AI-generated sexual images of a 13-year-old girl and other students circulated in Thibodaux in August 2025. Her father described bullying, requests for help, depression and anxiety. After the girl fought a boy she suspected of involvement, the district excluded her from regular school and she spent ten weeks in alternative school. The district said it followed its protocols and disputed the family's one-sided account. District and sheriff statements identified eight girls and two adults as image-abuse targets; AP reported charges against two boys.

Core concern High reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownUnited StatesUnidentified voice-cloning and image tool

Florida grandmother reports nearly $200,000 loss after an AI video impersonated a doctor

An 82-year-old Ponte Vedra Beach woman told Action News Jax that a Facebook contact impersonating a doctor persuaded her to invest. The outlet attributes the voice and image impersonation to AI. She reported losing nearly $200,000 within months, including savings intended for a grandson's future care, and being unable to eat or sleep after discovering the fraud. She filed a police report in November 2025. The phrase “last October” does not unambiguously establish the contact year.

Core concern Medium reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownUnited StatesUnidentified video tool

Leesburg man reports nearly $45,000 loss and marital strain after purported Musk video messages

A Leesburg man told WKMG that he lost nearly $45,000 after a purported Elon Musk giveaway and subsequent investment offers. He described personalised video messages, payments, depleted accounts and maxed-out credit cards. The outlet presents the case in its AI deepfake investigation. He also said his wife wanted a divorce because of the scam; no completed divorce or loss of his home is established.

Core concern Medium reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

2025United KingdomUnidentified image tool

Exiled Hong Kong activist reports fear after sexualised deepfake letters reached former UK neighbours

The Guardian reported that letters containing digitally faked sexual images of an exiled Hong Kong activist were sent to her former neighbours in Maidenhead in recent weeks. The activist said she was terrified and described the letters as escalating harassment using AI or digital tools. The sender and exact image-creation method remain unknown. Earlier bounty letters and a separate Australian poster campaign are distinct events.

Core concern Medium reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownEvent location unknownUnidentified video tool

Mother reportedly sought police help after a teen received a fabricated sexual video and extortion demand

A Newswav creator article relays a mother's account that her teenage son received his photograph and a purported AI-generated sexual video through Telegram, followed by a demand for RM5,800. The mother said the family sought police help and that the boy asked a school contact for advice. The article attributes the AI explanation to the family's account and reported police comments. No payment, precise event location or independently verified generation method is established.

Core concern Medium reported severity Involving minors

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 1 source · Added 30/09/2026

Event date unknownAustraliaUnidentified image tool

Sydney schoolgirls reportedly targeted with deepfake images circulated online

ABC News reports that digitally altered sexual images using the faces of girls from a Sydney high school circulated online. Families went to police, who confirmed an investigation, while the school and education department said they were working with police. A follow-up report says the eSafety Commissioner was also in talks with investigators. The school is not identified, and the number of affected students, creation date and later inquiry outcome are unknown.

Core concern Medium reported severity Involving minors

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 2 sources, 1 underlying account · Added 30/09/2026

25 Feb 2025 to 23 Apr 2025IndiaUnidentified video tool

Bengaluru woman reportedly lost Rs 3.75 crore after a Sadhguru deepfake investment pitch

Bengaluru police said a retired woman lost about Rs 3.75 crore after encountering a purported AI-generated video of Sadhguru promoting investments. The Indian Express reports that the contact and transfers took place from 25 February to 23 April 2025. According to the reported FIR, the video led to a trading platform and subsequent contact with scammers, who showed apparent profits. The woman realised the problem when withdrawal attempts prompted further payment demands. Police were attempting to freeze accounts, while warning recovery would be difficult.

Core concern High reported severity

AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 2 sources, 1 underlying account · Added 30/09/2026

Cases may have several effects and sources. Mixed accounts qualify when they include a reported harm or adverse experience. People are counted within individual cases where sources support a number; we do not publish a collection-wide total of distinct people.

A source’s existence, the experience it reports and AI’s causal role are separate questions. A lawsuit records allegations unless a subsequent finding establishes them.

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Last dataset update: 30/09/2026. Dataset available under CC BY 4.0.