AI Failure Index
AI Autonomous System failures
Vehicles, robots, and other systems that act in the physical world. Failures are kinetic and often irreversible.
- Incidents
- 27
- Highest severity
- Catastrophic
- Sources cited
- 73
- Newest indexed
- Jul 17, 2026
Open all 27 in the research console
A Waymo robotaxi flagged its teen passengers, disabled itself, and summoned police
In early July 2026, San Mateo, California police detained two 15-year-olds after a Waymo driverless robotaxi detected behavior its systems flagged as a safety concern, disabled the vehicle, and alerted authorities. The teens were reported to be drinking and shooting Orbeez water beads from the car. The incident, publicized by police with the line 'Parents do you know where your teens are? Waymo does,' drew scrutiny over passenger surveillance and the limits of privacy inside autonomous vehicles.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Waymo robotaxis stalled en masse on July 4, gridlocking San Francisco and drawing a mayoral rebuke
During San Francisco's July 4, 2026 fireworks, Waymo vehicles were documented blocking traffic, driving over lit fireworks, and stalling en masse on a key Presidio connector road, compounding citywide gridlock. Mayor Daniel Lurie wrote state transportation leaders that by the end of the fireworks show 'autonomous vehicles became immobilized in travel lanes, blocking key streets and ultimately bringing traffic to a standstill,' urging a regulatory framework for AVs during major events and a prove-it-before-you-deploy-it standard. Uber separately blamed Waymo obstructions for much of the July 4 fiasco. The episode followed Waymo glitches driving into flooded San Antonio streets, construction-zone trouble that suspended freeway service in May, and NHTSA's July 8 warning about AVs interfering with first responders.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Zoox recalled its robotaxi fleet after a vehicle drove into a fire scene hidden by heavy smoke
On June 20, 2026, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered heavy smoke obscuring an active emergency fire scene that had not yet been cordoned off, entered the scene, braked hard while trying to steer away, and stopped; a teleoperator had to reverse it out so firefighters could place cones. Zoox filed a voluntary software recall with NHTSA on July 7 covering its fleet of 105 vehicles, made public the week of July 17, adding the ability to detect and respond to heavy smoke. The recall landed one day before NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison's July 8 letter warning AV makers that failure to recognize flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and cones is 'a functional insufficiency,' with responses demanded by end of month.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Ukrainian sea drone reportedly veers off course and explodes in Constanta port
On 2026-06-05 a naval/sea drone reportedly linked to Ukraine exploded in the Romanian port of Constanta after veering off course. Ukrainian officials told reporters the drone lost control following alleged electronic jamming; authorities say the area was secured and there were no injuries. Multiple independent news outlets reported the incident the same day.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Baidu Apollo Go robotaxis experience mass system failure in Wuhan
On March 31, 2026, a mass system failure paralyzed Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxi fleet in Wuhan, China. The incident stranded numerous passengers in traffic and subsequently led to the suspension of new autonomous vehicle permits by Chinese authorities.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Waymo robotaxi blocks ambulance during Austin mass shooting response
A Waymo autonomous vehicle obstructed an emergency response corridor in Austin during a mass shooting. The incident led to demands for a meeting between Waymo and Austin city officials to discuss emergency coordination.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
DJI Romo Cloud authorization bug exposes 7,000 robot vacuums
A backend permission validation error in DJI's cloud servers allowed unauthorized access to thousands of DJI Romo robot vacuums. The vulnerability exposed live camera feeds, microphone audio, and home maps to any authenticated user.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Coco Robotics delivery robot destroyed by train in Miami
A Coco Robotics delivery robot was destroyed after a hardware failure left it stranded on a railroad crossing in Miami. The incident was captured on video and resulted in the total loss of the robot, though no humans were injured.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
U.S. Department of Transportation robo-bus rear-ended during D.C. demonstration ride
During a U.S. Department of Transportation demonstration in Washington, D.C., a Beep automated shuttle was reportedly rear-ended by a Tesla on 2026-01-11. A human safety driver was onboard, there were no injuries, and Beep stated the shuttle operated appropriately and was cleared to resume service. Coverage of the incident appears in multiple news outlets.
- Confidence
- High (multi-source, primary)
Waymo autonomous vehicle kills bodega cat in San Francisco
A Waymo robotaxi killed a popular bodega cat named KitKat in San Francisco's Mission District on October 27, 2025. While Waymo claimed the cat darted under the vehicle, video evidence showed the cat had been underneath for some time before the vehicle drove off.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Waymo Recalls Software After Two Robotaxis Hit Same Tow Truck
Two Waymo autonomous vehicles collided with the same tow truck and its payload in Phoenix, Arizona, within minutes of each other. The incidents were caused by a software misinterpretation of the vehicle's orientation and movement.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Cruise robotaxis investigated after sudden braking led to rear-end collisions
In December 2022 U.S. regulators opened a probe after reports that Cruise autonomous taxis braked suddenly and were rear-ended. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) initiated a preliminary evaluation after receiving multiple reports of unexpected braking and immobilizations. News outlets and an incident database documented the events and the regulatory review.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Honda Collision Mitigation Braking System false positives allegedly cause accidents
Honda's Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) allegedly triggered sudden, unexpected braking without obstacles. This "phantom braking" resulted in numerous consumer complaints and a NHTSA investigation.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Chess robot breaks seven-year-old's finger at Moscow tournament
Contemporaneous Russian news reports and social posts document that a chess-playing robot known as Chessrobot injured a seven-year-old player at the Moscow Chess Open on 21 July 2022 by gripping his finger while placing a piece, leading to a fracture. The device had been described as capable of playing multiple boards; officials said it had been rented for the event and parents reportedly planned to pursue prosecutors. The incident is recorded in the AI Incident Database alongside the press coverage.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Cruise self-driving car injures multiple people in San Francisco collision
A Cruise robotaxi collided with a Toyota Prius during a left turn in San Francisco on June 3, 2022. The accident caused multiple injuries and prompted a federal probe into the company's autonomous driving software.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Starship delivery robot allegedly stranded on Oregon railroad tracks and hit by freight train
A Starship Technologies autonomous food-delivery robot deployed on Oregon State University grounds is alleged to have become stranded on a railroad crossing and was struck and destroyed by a freight train. The incident is documented in the AI Incident Database and was reported on social media and in a press write-up that cites a social video. Available sources describe the event as occurring in early March 2022.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Toyota self-driving e-Palette hits Paralympian at Tokyo athletes' village
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games village, a Toyota e-Palette autonomous shuttle struck visually impaired judoka Aramitsu Kitazono, who suffered cuts and bruises and withdrew from competition. Toyota suspended the e-Palette service, apologised for the incident and said it would investigate.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
SoftBank Robotics' Pepper robots reportedly suffered repeated mechanical and software failures
Media reports from mid-2021 alleged that SoftBank Robotics' Pepper humanoid robots experienced frequent mechanical errors, unplanned stops, failures to recognize people, and breakdowns while deployed in customer settings. The incidents were reported by multiple outlets and collected in the AI Incident Database, and customers were said to have declined renewals or resold units.
- Confidence
- High (multi-source, primary)
Manufacturing robot failure causes worker's death at ASAL Chakan plant
A 44-year-old welder at the Automotive Stampings and Assemblies Ltd (ASAL) plant in Chakan, India, died after a robotic arm malfunctioned on February 24, 2021. The robotic arm unexpectedly struck the worker in the head and neck.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Tesla Autopilot phantom braking causes sudden highway deceleration
Tesla vehicles experienced widespread "phantom braking" events, characterized by sudden, unexpected decelerations on highways. This led to a safety investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Confidence
- High (multi-source, primary)
Uber autonomous vehicle kills pedestrian in Tempe Arizona
An Uber autonomous test vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona due to a combination of AI classification errors and human operator inattention. The NTSB cited a lack of safety redundancies, including the deactivation of factory emergency braking systems.
- Confidence
- High (multi-source, primary)
SF SPCA robot patrol used to ward off homeless people
The San Francisco SPCA deployed a Knightscope K5 security robot to patrol sidewalks outside its office. The robot was used to deter homeless individuals from setting up encampments, leading to allegations of automated harassment.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Keolis-operated Navya shuttle struck by truck in Las Vegas during first-day service
A Navya-built autonomous shuttle operated by Keolis was struck by a delivery truck in Las Vegas on November 8, 2017 while on its inaugural public run. Multiple news outlets and a subsequent NTSB investigation reported that the truck was backing up and was cited by police, no injuries were reported, and the collision caused only minor damage.
- Confidence
- High (multi-source, primary)
Knightscope security robots fail to detect and report crimes
Knightscope's autonomous security robots failed to effectively alert law enforcement to crimes occurring in their vicinity in 2017. This highlighted critical gaps in the robots' ability to detect criminal activity and successfully notify emergency services.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Intuitive Surgical da Vinci Xi software anomaly causes unexpected movement
Intuitive Surgical identified a software anomaly in the da Vinci Xi P5 software that could cause unexpected master and instrument tip movements. This led to a global Class 2 FDA recall affecting 677 devices.
- Confidence
- High (multi-source, primary)
Amazon robotic warehouses linked to higher worker injury rates
Investigations based on internal Amazon records published by Reveal and reported by other outlets allege that Amazon’s robotic fulfillment centers experienced higher rates of serious worker injuries than non-robotic sites between 2016 and 2019. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a hazard alert in January 2016 citing ergonomic risks at a robotics-equipped Amazon facility. Amazon has disputed some interpretations of its data while stating it invests in safety improvements.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)
Volkswagen robot crushed contractor to death at Baunatal plant
In late June 2015 a contractor installing a stationary robot at Volkswagen’s Baunatal plant was grabbed and crushed against a metal plate and later died. Volkswagen and news reports said initial findings pointed to human error during setup; prosecutors began an investigation. The incident involved an industrial robot operating in a confined area rather than a collaborative robot.
- Confidence
- Medium (multi-source)