Public Sector Stories

5 disasters tagged #public-sector

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Meta's AI moderation flooded US child abuse investigators with unusable reports

Feb 2026

US Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce officers testified that Meta's AI content moderation system generates large volumes of low-quality child abuse reports that drain investigator resources and hinder active cases. Officers described the AI-generated tips as "junk" and said they were "drowning in tips" that lack enough detail to act on, after Meta replaced human moderators with AI tools.

Catastrophicby Developer
US child abuse investigations impaired nationwide; investigator resources diverted from actionable cases
automationsafetypublic-sector+1 more
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Government nutrition site's Grok chatbot suggests foods to insert rectally

Feb 2026

The HHS-backed realfood.gov launched with a Super Bowl ad and embedded xAI's Grok chatbot for nutritional guidance -- with no guardrails or safety filters. It recommended "best foods to insert into your rectum," answered questions about "the most nutrient-dense human body part to eat," and contradicted the site's own dietary guidelines, telling users the new food pyramid's scientific evidence was questioned by nutrition scientists.

Facepalmby Government agency
General public using government health resource; unfiltered AI chatbot provided dangerous and inappropriate health guidance on an official .gov-adjacent domain
ai-assistanthealthpublic-sector+2 more
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AI mistook Doritos bag for a gun, teen held at gunpoint

Oct 2025

An AI-based gun detection system at a Baltimore County high school flagged a student carrying a Doritos bag as armed, leading armed officers to handcuff and search the teen at gunpoint before realizing the system hallucinated the threat.

Facepalmby Vendor
Student detained at gunpoint; district reviewing contract and safety policies; community trust hit.
safetypublic-sectorproduct-failure+1 more
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Deloitte to refund Australian government after AI-generated report

Oct 2025

Deloitte admitted AI-generated errors in a commissioned Australian government report and agreed to refund the fee.

Facepalmby Consultant
Refund issued; public-sector trust and procurement review; reputational harm.
ai-content-generationai-hallucinationpublic-sector+2 more
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NYC’s official AI bot told businesses to break laws

Mar 2024

NYC’s Microsoft-powered MyCity chatbot gave inaccurate/illegal advice on labor & housing policy; city kept it online.

Facepalmby Executive
City guidance channel distributed illegal advice; public backlash.
ai-hallucinationautomationlegal-risk+2 more