journalists

What changed

Grammarly's Expert Review feature allegedly used a large language model to generate editing suggestions presented under the names of journalists, authors, and academics without their consent. A federal class action filed by Julia Angwin claimed the feature misappropriated identities for commercial gain and attributed advice the named individuals never gave.

Timeline

1. 6 Apr 2026Grammarly's AI Expert Review Allegedly Used Journalists' and Authors' Names Without Consent
   Incident82%

   • Grammarly Is Facing a Class Action Lawsuit Over Its AI ‘Expert Review’ Featurehttps://www.wired.com/story/grammarly-is-facing-a-class-action-lawsuit-over-its-ai-expert-review-feature/
   • Grammarly removes AI Expert Review feature mimicking writers after backlashhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/13/grammarly-removes-ai-expert-review-feature-mimicking-writers-after-backlash
   • AI Incident Database - Incident 1407https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/1407/

   Grammarly Is Facing a Class Action Lawsuit Over Its AI ‘Expert Review’ FeatureGrammarly removes AI Expert Review feature mimicking writers after backlashAI Incident Database - Incident 1407
2. 18 Mar 2026Purported AI-Enabled Pro-Russian Influence Campaign Centered on Burkina Faso's Ibrahim Traoré and Disseminated Across African Media
   Incident82%

   • Deepfakes Help Spread False Information in Africahttps://adf-magazine.com/2025/09/deepfakes-help-spread-false-information-in-africa/
   • Deepfakes and propaganda used to glorify Burkina Faso’s Traoréhttps://disinfo.africa/deepfakes-and-propaganda-used-to-glorify-burkina-fasos-traor%C3%A9-83bf59499714
   • AI Incident Database - Incident 1283https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/1283/

   Deepfakes Help Spread False Information in AfricaDeepfakes and propaganda used to glorify Burkina Faso’s TraoréAI Incident Database - Incident 1283
3. 15 Mar 2026Alleged Fabricated News Sites and Deepfakes Impersonated Maltese Ministers, Financial Experts, and Media to Promote NethertoxAGENT Fraud
   Incident82%

   • Deepfake scam articles impersonate ministers after Budget Dayhttps://timesofmalta.com/article/deepfake-scam-articles-impersonate-ministers-budget-day.1118664
   • Fact-check Malta: Deepfake scam articles impersonate ministers after Budget Dayhttps://meddmo.eu/deepfake-scam-articles-impersonate-ministers-after-budget-day/
   • AI Incident Database - Incident 1290https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/1290/

   Deepfake scam articles impersonate ministers after Budget DayFact-check Malta: Deepfake scam articles impersonate ministers after Budget DayAI Incident Database - Incident 1290
4. 21 Sept 2025Multiple Generative AI Systems Reportedly Amplify False Information During Charlie Kirk Assassination Coverage
   Incident78%

   • After Kirk Assassination, AI ‘Fact Checks’ Spread False Claimshttps://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/after-kirk-assassination-ai-fact
   • AI Incident Database - Incident 1205https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/1205/

   After Kirk Assassination, AI ‘Fact Checks’ Spread False ClaimsAI Incident Database - Incident 1205
5. 19 June 2025Purported Graphite Spyware Linked to Paragon Solutions Allegedly Deployed Against Journalists and Civil Society Workers
   Incident82%

   • Nation-State 'Paragon' Spyware Infections Target Civil Societyhttps://www.darkreading.com/application-security/nation-state-paragon-spyware-infections
   • Virtue or Vice? A First Look at Paragon’s Proliferating Spyware Operationshttps://citizenlab.ca/2025/03/a-first-look-at-paragons-proliferating-spyware-operations/
   • AI Incident Database - Incident 1069https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/1069/

   Nation-State 'Paragon' Spyware Infections Target Civil SocietyVirtue or Vice? A First Look at Paragon’s Proliferating Spyware OperationsAI Incident Database - Incident 1069
6. 11 May 2025'Pravda' Network, Successor to 'Portal Kombat,' Allegedly Seeding AI Models with Kremlin Disinformation
   Incident82%

   • A well-funded Moscow-based global ‘news’ network has infected Western artificial intelligence tools worldwide with Russ…https://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/a-well-funded-moscow-based-global
   • Exclusive: Russian disinformation floods AI chatbots, study findshttps://www.axios.com/2025/03/06/exclusive-russian-disinfo-floods-ai-chatbots-study-finds
   • AI Incident Database - Incident 968https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/968/

   A well-funded Moscow-based global ‘news’ network has infected Western artificial intelligence tools worldwide with Russ…Exclusive: Russian disinformation floods AI chatbots, study findsAI Incident Database - Incident 968
7. 8 May 2025Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025
   Incident82%

   • Stolen voices: Russia-aligned operation manipulates audio and images to impersonate expertshttps://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/stolen-voices-russia-aligned-operation-manipulates-audio-and-images-to-impersonate-experts/
   • A Russian fake news ring was struggling. Then it targeted USAID.https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/06/operation-overload-russian-disinfo-usaid-musk-x/
   • AI Incident Database - Incident 1060https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/1060/

   Stolen voices: Russia-aligned operation manipulates audio and images to impersonate expertsA Russian fake news ring was struggling. Then it targeted USAID.AI Incident Database - Incident 1060
8. 8 Apr 2025Meta and OpenAI Accused of Using LibGen’s Pirated Books to Train AI Models
   Incident82%

   • The Unbelievable Scale of AI’s Pirated-Books Problemhttps://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/03/libgen-meta-openai/682093/
   • Meta Secretly Trained Its AI on a Notorious Piracy Database, Newly Unredacted Court Docs Revealhttps://www.wired.com/story/new-documents-unredacted-meta-copyright-ai-lawsuit/
   • AI Incident Database - Incident 997https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/997/

   The Unbelievable Scale of AI’s Pirated-Books ProblemMeta Secretly Trained Its AI on a Notorious Piracy Database, Newly Unredacted Court Docs RevealAI Incident Database - Incident 997
9. 20 Mar 2025The New York Times Reportedly Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over Alleged Unauthorized AI Training on Its Content
   Incident82%

   • New York Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft for using articles to train AIhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/27/new-york-times-sues-openai-chatgpt/
   • The Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over A.I.’s Use of Copyrighted Workhttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/27/business/media/new-york-times-open-ai-microsoft-lawsuit.html
   • AI Incident Database - Incident 995https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/995/

   New York Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft for using articles to train AIThe Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over A.I.’s Use of Copyrighted WorkAI Incident Database - Incident 995
10. 29 May 2024Permanent Removal of Social Media Content via Automated Tools Allegedly Prevented Investigative Efforts
    Incident82%

    • Social Media Platforms Remove War Crimes Evidencehttps://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/10/social-media-platforms-remove-war-crimes-evidence
    • “Video Unavailable”https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/09/10/video-unavailable/social-media-platforms-remove-evidence-war-crimes
    • AI Incident Database - Incident 268https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/268/

    Social Media Platforms Remove War Crimes Evidence“Video Unavailable”AI Incident Database - Incident 268
11. 3 Nov 2023Proliferation of AI-Generated News Websites and Content Farms Across Multiple Languages Degrading Information Integrity
    Incident78%

    • Rise of the Newsbots: AI-Generated News Websites Proliferating Onlinehttps://www.newsguardtech.com/special-reports/newsbots-ai-generated-news-websites-proliferating/
    • AI Incident Database - Incident 589https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/589/

    Rise of the Newsbots: AI-Generated News Websites Proliferating OnlineAI Incident Database - Incident 589
12. 6 Jan 2023Henan Authorities Reportedly Commissioned Facial Recognition System to Track Journalists and International Students
    Incident82%

    • Chinese province targets journalists and students in planned surveillance systemhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/29/china-province-surveillance-system-journalists-students-henan
    • EXCLUSIVE Chinese province targets journalists, foreign students with planned new surveillance systemhttps://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-chinese-province-targets-journalists-foreign-students-with-planned-new-2021-11-29/
    • AI Incident Database - Incident 438https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/438/

    Chinese province targets journalists and students in planned surveillance systemEXCLUSIVE Chinese province targets journalists, foreign students with planned new surveillance systemAI Incident Database - Incident 438

PSF mapping