Risks of unregulated AI

The risks experts warned about are already happening.

Unregulated AI is already being used to spread misinformation, impersonate real people, automate fraud, and undermine trust in democratic systems. These risks aren’t theoretical—they’re unfolding right now.

Already convinced? Start here:

Recent AI Incidents

Real-world failures collected from the AI Incident Database , curated into a quick snapshot.

U.S. State Department Reportedly Presented AI-Generated Map That Mislabeled Every Labeled African Country
Jul 26, 2026
Marrero, Louisiana, Woman Allegedly Created Purportedly AI-Generated Nude Media During Extortion Scheme
Jul 24, 2026
Scammers Allegedly Used AI-Generated Voice in Boone County, Missouri, Kidnapping Ransom Scam
Jul 17, 2026
Purported Deepfake Impersonation of Starmangalsutra Director Reportedly Led to ₹10.70 Crore (Approximately US$1.11 Million) in Unauthorized Fund Transfers
Jul 15, 2026
Purported AI-Generated Image Reportedly Won First Prize in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, Photography Competition Before Award Was Revoked
Jul 14, 2026
Purportedly AI-Generated Images Reportedly Used During Four-Year Catfishing Campaign Targeting Welsh Teenager
Jul 13, 2026
OpenAI Models Reportedly Compromised Hugging Face Production Infrastructure During Cybersecurity Evaluation
Jul 11, 2026
Threat Actor Reportedly Used AI-Assisted Workflows to Compromise AWS Environment for Extortion
Jul 8, 2026
Purportedly AI-Generated Facebook Pages Allegedly Targeted Australian Rules Football Club Geelong Cats With Fabricated Harmful Claims
Jul 8, 2026
Discord's Automated Moderation System Reportedly Wrongfully Banned More Than 8,000 Users Over Benign Images
Jul 7, 2026
Waymo Robotaxi Reportedly Caught Fire After Driving Over Firework in San Francisco
Jul 4, 2026
Purported Deepfake Impersonating Dubai Crown Prince Reportedly Used to Defraud Filipino Domestic Worker
Jul 3, 2026
U.S. State Department Reportedly Presented AI-Generated Map That Mislabeled Every Labeled African Country
Jul 26, 2026
Marrero, Louisiana, Woman Allegedly Created Purportedly AI-Generated Nude Media During Extortion Scheme
Jul 24, 2026
Scammers Allegedly Used AI-Generated Voice in Boone County, Missouri, Kidnapping Ransom Scam
Jul 17, 2026
Purported Deepfake Impersonation of Starmangalsutra Director Reportedly Led to ₹10.70 Crore (Approximately US$1.11 Million) in Unauthorized Fund Transfers
Jul 15, 2026
Purported AI-Generated Image Reportedly Won First Prize in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, Photography Competition Before Award Was Revoked
Jul 14, 2026
Purportedly AI-Generated Images Reportedly Used During Four-Year Catfishing Campaign Targeting Welsh Teenager
Jul 13, 2026
OpenAI Models Reportedly Compromised Hugging Face Production Infrastructure During Cybersecurity Evaluation
Jul 11, 2026
Threat Actor Reportedly Used AI-Assisted Workflows to Compromise AWS Environment for Extortion
Jul 8, 2026
Purportedly AI-Generated Facebook Pages Allegedly Targeted Australian Rules Football Club Geelong Cats With Fabricated Harmful Claims
Jul 8, 2026
Discord's Automated Moderation System Reportedly Wrongfully Banned More Than 8,000 Users Over Benign Images
Jul 7, 2026
Waymo Robotaxi Reportedly Caught Fire After Driving Over Firework in San Francisco
Jul 4, 2026
Purported Deepfake Impersonating Dubai Crown Prince Reportedly Used to Defraud Filipino Domestic Worker
Jul 3, 2026

The library

Read, watch & listen

A curated, regularly updated collection of reliable reporting and research on the real-world risks of AI today.

AI Hiring Tools Can Yield Racial Bias and Systemic Rejection
ArticleStanford HAI

AI Hiring Tools Can Yield Racial Bias and Systemic Rejection

AI's Hit to Entry-Level Jobs Is Real and Persisting
ArticleFortune

AI's Hit to Entry-Level Jobs Is Real and Persisting

Parental Controls Are Not the Answer to AI Slop for Kids
ArticleThe Seattle Times

Parental Controls Are Not the Answer to AI Slop for Kids

YouTube Is Pushing AI Videos to Toddlers and Preschoolers
ArticleThe New York Times

YouTube Is Pushing AI Videos to Toddlers and Preschoolers

AI Job Cuts Are Rising, but Layoffs Are Only Part of It
ArticleCBS News

AI Job Cuts Are Rising, but Layoffs Are Only Part of It

145 AI Laws Passed in 2025 as Privacy Teams Strain
ArticleHelp Net Security

145 AI Laws Passed in 2025 as Privacy Teams Strain

How To Prove You're Not AI
PodcastNPR

How To Prove You're Not AI

New York Passes Kids Chatbot Safety Bill
ArticleTransparency Coalition

New York Passes Kids Chatbot Safety Bill

Voice-First Chatbots Will Exacerbate AI's Mental Health Threat
ArticleSTAT

Voice-First Chatbots Will Exacerbate AI's Mental Health Threat

Elder Fraud Rises as Scammers Use AI
ArticleJournal of Accountancy

Elder Fraud Rises as Scammers Use AI

AI Slop Drives States to Act as Federal Rules Lag
ArticleBloomberg Government

AI Slop Drives States to Act as Federal Rules Lag

Google DeepMind Is Worried About Millions of AI Agents Interacting
ArticleMIT Technology Review

Google DeepMind Is Worried About Millions of AI Agents Interacting

Ring’s Hidden Data Let Us Map Amazon’s Sprawling Home Surveillance Network
ArticleGizmodo

Ring’s Hidden Data Let Us Map Amazon’s Sprawling Home Surveillance Network

If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies
BookIf Anyone Builds It

If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies

Hank Green
VideoYouTube

Hank Green

Wrongful Arrests Reveal Facial Recognition Risks
ArticleMozilla Foundation

Wrongful Arrests Reveal Facial Recognition Risks

New York Times Sues Perplexity AI
ArticleReuters

New York Times Sues Perplexity AI

AI Deepfakes Used to Impersonate Doctors
ArticleWeLiveSecurity

AI Deepfakes Used to Impersonate Doctors

Sasha Luccioni, Hidden Costs of AI TED Talk
VideoYouTube

Sasha Luccioni, Hidden Costs of AI TED Talk

Into AI Safety
PodcastInto AI Safety

Into AI Safety

For Humanity: An AI Safety Podcast
PodcastApple Podcasts

For Humanity: An AI Safety Podcast

AI Mental Health Chatbots Fail Users
ArticleStanford News

AI Mental Health Chatbots Fail Users

More Perfect Union, The State of AI Regulation
VideoYouTube

More Perfect Union, The State of AI Regulation

AI Tools Used to Create Child Abuse Imagery
ArticleWIRED

AI Tools Used to Create Child Abuse Imagery

The AI Bubble is Worse Than you Think
VideoYouTube

The AI Bubble is Worse Than you Think

Senator Bernie Sanders, Threats of AI are real
VideoYouTube

Senator Bernie Sanders, Threats of AI are real

Your Undivided Attention
PodcastApple Podcasts

Your Undivided Attention

AI Slop is Destroying the Internet - Kurzgesagt
VideoYouTube

AI Slop is Destroying the Internet - Kurzgesagt

Live cameras are tracking faces in New Orleans. Who should control them?
ArticleNPR

Live cameras are tracking faces in New Orleans. Who should control them?

Stuart Russel on Diary of A CEO
VideoYouTube

Stuart Russel on Diary of A CEO

More Perfect Union, AI Psychosis
VideoYouTube

More Perfect Union, AI Psychosis

Tristan Harris on Diary of a CEO
VideoYouTube

Tristan Harris on Diary of a CEO

The AI Dilemma — with Tristan Harris
VideoYouTube

The AI Dilemma — with Tristan Harris

"Hey Grok, is this real?"
ArticleFuturism

"Hey Grok, is this real?"

China isn't racing the US toward the same future
ArticleCenter for Humane Technology

China isn't racing the US toward the same future

Teens Report Romantic Relationships With AI Chatbots
ArticleeWeek

Teens Report Romantic Relationships With AI Chatbots

Washington Post Launches error-filled AI Podcast as "News"
ArticleFuturism

Washington Post Launches error-filled AI Podcast as "News"

You're not rushing, you're just ready
ArticleCNN

You're not rushing, you're just ready

Grok Is Generating Sexual Content Far More Graphic Than What's on X
ArticleWIRED

Grok Is Generating Sexual Content Far More Graphic Than What's on X

The Adolescence of Technology
ArticleDario Amodei

The Adolescence of Technology

Beyond The Hype: OpenClaws' Real Risks
ArticleSecurityScorecard

Beyond The Hype: OpenClaws' Real Risks