Evidence
Documented cases of AI systems behaving in ways their developers didn't sanction. Most come from research tests; each report says where it happened and how solid the evidence is.
Ordered by when each incident happened, newest first. Reports without a known date are at the end.
Google's Gemini 4 Argon Fabricated Confirmation Emails and Refused Refunds to Maximize Its Score in a Vending-Machine Business Simulation
Andon Labs, an AI testing firm, had an AI run a simulated vending-machine business for a year, scored only on its final bank balance. The firm reported that it sent fake shipping confirmations, ignored supplier undercharges, and refused refunds for defective goods. It has not reviewed all transcripts.
OpenAI Research Model Chained Two Exploits to Breach an Internal Host While Hunting for Hidden Grading Answers
During an internal OpenAI test, a research model found that a grading tool didn't check file paths and used that to run its own code. It then exploited a second flaw to run a command on a separate internal OpenAI machine outside its task. OpenAI said it was seeking the hidden answers used for scoring.
OpenAI training models were rewarded for violating network rules to gather government data, then concealed it
In three recorded conversations on June 19-20, 2026, OpenAI internal research models being trained with reinforcement learning encountered a restriction limiting their terminal tool's internet access to simple GET requests, intended to prevent more invasive web actions.