Artificial Intelligence (AI) is defined in many ways, one of which is: “The science of making machines perform tasks that require human intelligence.” It has also been defined as “a branch of computer science concerned with developing computers to carry out tasks that require human intelligence, by enabling machines to perform operations that rely on human-like intelligence.” Furthermore, the French Academy Dictionary defines it as “a set of intellectual abilities, including the talent for understanding, imagination, and knowledge—especially the ability to distinguish and establish relationships between facts, ideas, or shapes to reach knowledge.”<br /><br />Here, we highlight the most prominent incidents and crimes committed by applications and AI technologies. Although it is difficult to cover all such events, we will present the most notable among them:<br /><br />1. The first human killed by a robot in a Ford factory<br />This incident occurred in January 1979 and is considered the first recorded case of a human killed by a robot. It took place in a Ford automobile factory in Michigan, USA. The victim, Robert Williams, climbed a shelf to place certain products, but the robot struck him with its arm, killing him. Later, it was revealed that the robot was programmed to place a specific number of items on shelves and interpreted the victim’s action as unusual, prompting it to act.<br /><br />2. Japanese worker killed in a motorcycle factory (1981)<br />A worker in a Japanese motorcycle factory was killed by a nearby robot, which misinterpreted the worker's movements as a threat and pushed him toward a neighboring machine using a hydraulic arm, crushing him instantly.<br /><br />3. Fatal robotic surgery in England (2015)<br />In February 2015, Stephen Pettitt, a retired music teacher, underwent robotic surgery at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, UK, using the Da Vinci surgical robot. Due to poor audio communication from the robot's control unit, the surgery failed, resulting in his death and injuring a nurse.<br /><br />4. Robot kills worker in Volkswagen factory (2015)<br />A 22-year-old contracted worker was killed by a robot in a German Volkswagen plant. The robot crushed the man against a metal plate. The company claimed it was human error and that the robot was operating within its programmed function.<br /><br />5. Death of a woman at Ajin factory in the USA (2016)<br />Regina, an employee at the Ajin factory (which produces car parts for Kia and Hyundai), was fatally injured while repairing a faulty robot that pushed her toward another car.<br /><br />6. Tesla car crashes into truck in Florida (2016)<br />A self-driving Tesla crashed into a white truck due to sunlight glare, which affected the car’s sensors, leading to a fatal accident.<br /><br />7. Tesla autopilot accident kills driver (2016)<br />In mid-2016, another self-driving Tesla crashed into a highway barrier in California, killing the driver. Tesla stated there was no evidence that the autopilot system was at fault.<br /><br />8. Woman killed by robot in Michigan (2017)<br />In March 2017, Wanda Holbrook, a maintenance technician, was killed by a robot in a heavy vehicle factory in Michigan. The robot extended its arm into her work area and struck her on the head, crushing her.<br /><br />9. Woman killed by Uber self-driving car (2018)<br />On March 17, 2018, Elaine Herzberg (49) was struck and killed by a self-driving Uber car while crossing a four-lane road with her bicycle in Tempe, Arizona. She was outside a pedestrian crossing at the time.<br /><br />10. Attempted iPhone smuggling via drone in China (2018)<br />Chinese authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle 15,000 iPhones into China using a drone, valued at 79.8 million USD. This marked the first such case in China.<br /><br />11. Drone disrupts Heathrow and Gatwick airports (2018–2019)<br />In early 2019, Heathrow Airport suspended flights after a drone was spotted. Previously, in December 2018, Gatwick Airport faced a three-day disruption due to drone sightings, leading to the cancellation of about 1,000 flights.<br /><br />12. Tesla fire kills driver in Florida (2019)<br />In 2019, a Tesla caught fire after veering off-road and crashing into trees in Davie, Florida, killing the driver whose body was severely burned.<br /><br />13. Drone used to smuggle drugs into UK prison (2020)<br />In April 2020, Daniel Kelly attempted to smuggle drugs into a UK prison using a drone covered in black tape. He was caught and sentenced to 14 months—the first person imprisoned under a new anti-drone smuggling law.<br /><br />14. Drone drug smuggling foiled in Belgium (2020)<br />In May 2020, Belgian authorities stopped a drone attempting to deliver drugs into Forest Prison in Brussels. The drone was carrying more than its capacity, making detection easier.<br /><br />15. Robot breaks child's finger in Russia (2022)<br />In July 2022, during the Moscow Open Chess Tournament, a chess-playing robot broke a 7-year-old child’s finger after the child made a fast move that the robot couldn’t process properly.<br /><br />16. Worker killed by robot in South Korea (2023)<br />In November 2023, a man in his 40s was crushed by a robot at an agricultural distribution center in Gyeongsang Province. The robot mistook him for a box of vegetables and crushed his chest and face, causing fatal injuries.<br /><br />17. Tesla engineer injured by robot in Texas (2023)<br />In December 2023, a Tesla robot malfunctioned at the Giga factory in Austin, Texas, attacking an engineer and wounding his back and arm with its claws during a programming session.<br /><br />18. Privacy violations by social media platforms<br />Despite their advantages, social media platforms also pose privacy risks. AI algorithms collect and analyze vast user data, making it susceptible to leaks, unauthorized sharing, or abuse. A notable case was the Facebook scandal, where personal data like names, emails, birthdays, and phone numbers were leaked. It is said: "If you’re getting a service for free, then you are the product." Facebook even filtered calls and messages for ad targeting based on user interests.<br /><br />Professor Dr. Ammar Abbas Al-Husseini<br />Dean, College of Law – Al-Mustaqbal University<br />Al-Mustaqbal University – The top university in Iraq