The events that occurred in the Ural Mountains at the beginning of February 1959, what would become known as the Dyatlov Pass incident, remain one of the 20th century’s most mysterious encounters—not least because we still don’t have a satisfactory or widely accepted explanation for why nine experienced hikers lost their lives in brutal ways.

Their tent was found in ruins, cut from the inside. Several of the hikers were discovered barefoot and almost naked near the original campsite around a month after their disappearance. What is interesting is that a trail of footprints—some barefoot—led from the tent and then simply stopped. The rest were discovered almost three months later, buried under snow in a ravine.

Just what happened to them? Why did they leave their tent, some barefoot, in the middle of the night in brutally cold temperatures, an act that would certainly guarantee their deaths? Here are ten theories as to just what happened.

10 It Was An Avalanche, Right?

The most obvious explanation would be that the group, for all their experience, were the unfortunate victims of a freak avalanche. Case solved, right? Well, not quite. First of all, the area has absolutely no history of avalanches, certainly none that would cause outright death.^[1] Secondly, even if this was a freak occurrence that just happened to hit on the night when hikers just happened to be on that part of the mountainside, there was simply no evidence of an avalanche when searchers eventually combed the area in search of the missing hikers.

Aside from there being no evidence of an avalanche, the injuries eventually discovered on the recovered bodies didn’t line up with such an incident. Although this explanation was very much promoted at one time—and even now, some people insist this is what happened—it simply does not add up. Furthermore, such insistence, against the obvious facts, could be argued to suggest a cover-up of sorts.

9 It Was A UFO

Okay, let’s get this one out of way. It was a UFO! That is certainly the theory of some researchers.^[2] And while there is no evidence to suggest they are correct, there are some interesting details to examine that might suggest involvement of a highly advanced craft from another world.

For example, where two of the hikers were discovered, next to the burned-out remains of a campfire, there was substantial damage to the trees that overlooked their makeshift base. The damage was around 4.6 meters (15 ft) high. Some researchers have theorized that this was the result of a UFO hovering just above the treetops.

Furthermore, some of the group who would be discovered months after they disappeared were found with pieces of skin, lips, and eyes apparently surgically removed. While some claim these “injuries” were merely the result of decomposition, others say the seemingly precise cuts suggest intelligent action.

8 The Yeti Claims

Perhaps one of the most interesting claims is that the group met their grisly end at the hands—or should that be claws—of a Yeti or Bigfoot-like creature that inhabits the remote regions of the Ural Mountains.^[3] The local Mansi tribe has legends of a Yeti-like creature called the Menk, and furthermore, it is said to roam the area of the incident.

There is a famous picture recovered from the belongings of the group on Nikolai Thibeaux-Brignolle’s camera. On a shot known as “Frame 17,” there is a strange picture that seems to show a figure that bears a resemblance to a Bigfoot-type creature.

Some people believe that this “figure” was actually one of the hikers returning from a raised piece of land, probably looking to get their bearings. The fact that it was the last picture Thibeaux-Brignolle took, though, leads to some people perhaps reading more into what there actually is. Or perhaps it wasn’t a Bigfoot or one of the group? Perhaps, as our next entry looks at, it was something potentially more menacing.

7 Escaped Prisoners

Less talked-about is the claim that the hikers were the unfortunate victims of escaped prisoners from the gulags in the region.^[4] Many such prisoners, who very well may have been incarcerated since World War II and wouldn’t be at all up to speed with world events, would have been imprisoned in these facilities. To them, the conflict could very much have still been taking place unless they had other, inside knowledge.

Furthermore, being spotted by strangers could result in an attack from these desperate people—themselves potentially hardened from the war and untold time behind bars with no freedom whatsoever. They would, one would imagine, weigh up the options of attacking a (relatively) small group against the risk of being reported to the Soviet authorities, which would lead to many years back in the brutal gulags.

6 The Gulag Authorities Killed Them By Mistake

In addition to the potential threats from escaped gulag prisoners, the gulag authorities themselves were likely to shoot first and ask questions later, particularly in the region the hikers were.^[5] We should bear in mind that they were off-course and somewhere they had not planned to be.

Might the gulag authorities, perhaps conducting a standard patrol of the area or maybe looking for an escaped prisoner, have been a little eager for a potential apprehension and killed the hikers in error? Imagine the anger from the local population if this was to become known. Perhaps, then, a cover-up was decided upon? Note, however, that a potential hole in this theory and the one above is that the nearest gulag was reportedly about 100 kilometers (60 mi) from where the incident took place.

While there is no proof that gulag guards killed the hikers and covered it up, there is certainly enough murkiness around the incident for people to be suspicious. Also, it was the Cold War, a time when distrust, even among a country’s citizens, ran deep. In fact, the notion that the Cold War played a major part in this mysterious incident carries over into our next entry.

5 American Intelligence Involvement

There are some claims that the incident was a result of a CIA/KGB meeting involving the handing over of radioactive materials which ultimately resulted in the deaths of nine Soviet citizens.^[6] There is no real proof to these claims, and they rely heavily on the simple fact that the Cold War was in its heyday at the time. And, if there was any chance at all that the United States could have been placed in a negative light, the Soviets would have taken it.

However, there is reason to believe there could have been a type of “entrapment” scenario unfolding. For example, there were considerable indications of radiation, both in the area itself and on some of the dead hikers.

Rumors would surface that the incident was an attempt to plant radioactive materials on CIA agents “caught” behind Soviet lines. Somehow, the operation went wrong, and the hikers were killed. If this theory was true, then that would mean that at least one of the hikers was a KGB operative. And that is the subject of our next entry. What’s more, there is sufficient reason to believe that there really could have been a KGB presence in the Ural Mountains.

4 A KGB Plant?

There are several theories that the “hike” into the mountains was secretly, and against the majority of the hikers’ knowledge, a KGB operation.^[7] Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of these claims is the fact that the oldest member of the group, 37-year-old Semyon (aka Alexander) Zolotaryov (second from right above), was not only a last-minute addition but also reportedly had extensive military and combat training. Why, exactly, was he there?

Perhaps the tattoo on his body is worth paying more attention to by researchers into this most mysterious case? The tattoo read “DAERMMUAZUAYA.” According to those who have researched the word, there is no translation in any known language. Many assume it to be either a secret military tag or some kind of secret society moniker.

If there is any truth to Zolotaryov, or any of the Dyatlov crew, being KGB agents, what their mission might have been is still anyone’s guess.

3 Local Tribes

Some theories would persist that the deaths were the result of attacks from local tribes in the area, most notably the Mansi tribe.^[8] There is no real evidence of this; the Mansi were largely peaceful and uninterested in the outside world.

Furthermore, much like the details already mentioned when examining the apparent “escape” from their tent, there was no evidence in the surrounding snow—which was largely undisturbed—of such an approach by a tribe, who wouldn’t have been thinking at all of covering their tracks, certainly not after an attack. And for an attack to happen at night in the middle of an apparent blizzard is even more unlikely.

While they certainly make a convenient scapegoat, there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that the Mansi, or any other tribe in the area, were responsible for these most sudden and strange deaths. It perhaps should be noted, tough, that the local tribes did refer to the mountain where the incident took place as the “Mountain of the Dead.”

2 The Gravity Fluctuation Theory

Perhaps one of the most bizarre theories, albeit one that is grounded in scientific thought, is the gravity fluctuation theory.^[9] What this theory essentially argues is that there was a sudden drop in gravity in a “corridor” that the hikers were unfortunately camped in. This is a little-known (and unproven) phenomenon, but it does, at least in theory, explain the eventual location of the campers’ bodies.

For example, it is argued that those who first rushed outside the camp were essentially placed into a non-gravitational situation where they died instantly—as if they were in a vacuum. The others were dragged from the tent, which would explain the “tears from the inside.” They were literally ripped from the tent due to the sudden and dramatic drop in gravity. It is argued that this unusual phenomenon occurs more than people realize but rarely results in such a drastic situation, as people aren’t usually caught in the event. Some researchers even claim that if the hikers had simply kept their tent shut, they would have survived the rare incident.

1 Secret Weapon Tests

This theory could explain the mysterious deaths, reports of strange lights, and the air of secrecy with which the Soviet authorities handled the incident.

Many rumors persisted in the area that the Soviets would regularly test secret weapons. Some have even claimed that “neutron weapons” were in use.^[10] The injuries of some of the campers—who had severe internal trauma but little external damage—would certainly suggest some sort of advanced and secretive technology.

Might it be possible that the Soviet military were testing weapons designed to “scare” the United States, for example, only to kill nine of its own citizens? Much like the gulag theories, this scenario would result in an instant and deep cover-up.

+ The One That Got Away

Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of the whole dire and terrible situation is that of Yuri Yudin.^[11] Only 24 hours into the ill-fated excursion, Yudin (pictured above being hugged) would come down with an illness, severe enough that he had to return to their set-off point. Knowing what we now know of the group’s situation, it was perhaps the most well-timed illness in the entirety of the 20th century.

Whatever the sickness was, it ultimately saved his life. Indeed, it perhaps makes one ponder the precariousness of our existence, where one circumstance seemingly as innocent and trivial as being too ill to participate can ultimately result in saving one’s life. Regardless, the decision would allow Yudin to live to old age, which he did, although he never had anything of significance to add to the investigations into the deaths of his colleagues.

The Tunguska Incident of the early 20th century remains one of the most intriguing “near-miss” events in human history. The notion that a meteor exploded several miles over the forests of the Tunguska region in Siberia is accepted by most. However, there remain small pockets of researchers who suggest that something else may indeed be responsible.

Before we look at some of the claims from Siberia in the summer of 1908, let’s explore some of the basic facts. If only to appreciate just how close a call the event actually was.

Related: 10 Times A Meteor Fell To Earth And Flew Back Into Space

10 The Nearest the Modern World Came to a Cataclysmic Event

There have been several incidents throughout the 20th century similar to the events that occurred a little after 7 am on June 30, 1908. Most largely agree, though, that the Tunguska incident is the closest the “modern world” has come to a truly catastrophic event. One that could have wiped out the human race. That nobody was killed was simply pure luck. As was the fact that the explosion occurred in the unpopulated northern regions of Russia. Had it been over a major city such as Moscow, the entire city and the outskirts would have been flattened. And the loss of life would have most likely been in the millions, if not worse.

Even so, plenty of people in the immediate vicinity still felt and saw the results of the explosion. For example, many residents of the villages around the area would state they could see a “pillar of fire” in the distance. And some even felt the shock waves, some of which were so powerful they would knock the witnesses to the ground. Others also spoke of hot wind gusts that came through the area shortly after the sound of the explosion.^[1]

9 It Exploded in the Air

What is also important to remember is that the meteorite didn’t actually crash into the ground itself. Instead, it exploded several miles in the air above the trees of the forests. This conclusion would take several years to arrive at, though. This was due to several delays in deploying a scientific research team to the area.

When they finally did arrive, they would discover the desolation of the forests. They also noticed how the trees were seemingly bent sideways in the same identical manner as if they had been snapped. Scientists would estimate that the meteorite exploded between three and six miles above the ground. The massive shockwave that followed then caused the destruction of the woodland below. In total, almost 800 square miles of forest were wiped away.

Just to further demonstrate how devastating the impact was—and how much worse it might have been—scientists would state that shockwaves from the explosion went around the world two full times before finally settling down.^[2]

8 The Impact Was Felt as Far as Europe

As well as the press of the Asian continent, those of Europe would report on the incident. After all, residents there also felt the aftereffects. Perhaps one of the best descriptions came from F.J.W. Whipple. He would write of the incident in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society in 1934. He stated that for several nights after the explosion, the night skies in Sweden were aglow as if it were day. He continued that “very good photographs could be taken at midnight.”

He wasn’t the only Swedish witness to note the drastic change in the nighttime conditions. Another unnamed witness reported that “one could read the minutest lettering,” such was the brightness of the night sky.

The aftereffects, then and now, were truly unique. Once more, we should perhaps contemplate the devastation had the explosion taken place a little further west. And what the aftereffects would have been for Europe and the rest of the world.^[3]

7 The Strange Noises of Two Weeks Before

While it wasn’t widely reported, there were accounts of strange events exactly two weeks before the explosion. These occurred in the nearby village of Karelinski. A story in one of the local newspapers claimed that a “bright bluish-white heavenly body” was witnessed by the “peasants in the village.” What’s more, this light appeared to be under intelligent control and in the shape of a “pipe.”

It remained visible for ten minutes. Then, a sudden sound similar to military gunfire was heard in the distance. The blue-glowing craft suddenly changed from intensely bright to a smoky, black color. It would ultimately turn into a ball of smoke. Strangest of all, however, was a shaking feeling coming from within the ground before flames and bizarre shapes appeared in the skies overhead.

Whether of consequence of not, there were also several reports of this military-style gunfire in the hours leading up to the Tunguska incident.^[4]

6 A “Crippled Spacecraft” Exploded!

Some of the most outlandish claims regarding the incident would come from Alexander Kasantsev. Although perhaps through no fault of his own. He would become the subject of a secondary conspiracy. According to some researchers, he hid these beliefs in his works of fiction, including Explosion.

Many shake their head at such claims as bordering on lunacy. And perhaps rightly so. The thought process behind them, however, is intriguing. Not the least due to the fact that Soviet authorities appeared to frown on those who made attempts to give too much credence to the UFO mysteries.

In short, it was seemingly the author’s belief that a “crippled spacecraft” was responsible for the devastation in the region. And what’s more, it was likely a spacecraft using some kind of nuclear energy or propulsion system.

Most would dismiss such theories. However, several other scientists and researchers would also conclude that some kind of nuclear explosion had taken place^[5]

5 The Claims of Felix Zigel and Alexis Zolotov

There is no doubt that researchers and scientists had begun to make such outlandish suggestions. However, Felix Zigel and Alexis Zolotov would take such claims to the next level. For example, their extensive research of the location would suggest that the “blast zone” was distinctly oval-shaped—much like descriptions of typical UFOs.

Furthermore, Zolotov would discover a “metallic presence” in the soil of the blast zone. This would further strengthen, in their opinion, the idea that a nuclear-powered alien craft had exploded overhead.

Their conviction was strengthened even more when they obtained witness testimony from locals. Some would claim to have seen a “fireball” that changed direction in the skies several different times on the morning of the explosion. This was corroborated, according to Zigel, by a report from the Tatranska Observatory in Poland. They claimed they had indeed tracked a strange object. And what’s more, it changed direction several different times.^[6]

4 The Valley of Death—The Copper Cauldrons Mystery

Without a doubt, one of the most bizarre theories surrounding the Tunguska Incident revolves around the equally mysterious Valley of Death. This is an area that, for hundreds of years, has been home to legends that stretch back to antiquity.

The route was used by traders and smugglers alike. And many would speak of witnessing odd incidents in the region. Furthermore, many would talk about strange, copper “cauldron-like” devices in the ground. So large that a person on horseback could enter inside. However, many who chose to spend the night in these bizarre shelters would become unwell. They would ultimately suffer intense sickness and symptoms similar to radiation poisoning.

Many of the legends also recount these strange cauldrons firing intense “balls of fire” toward a powerful enemy in the sky. Some researchers suggest these devices are some kind of ancient, alien defense weapon. And what’s more, some even suggest that these ancient weapons were active on the morning of June 30, 1908. Perhaps we should recall the strange “gunfire” sounds on the same day.^[7]

3 The Ill-Fated 2013 Visok Expedition

In 2013, Michale Visok would identify what he believed were strange circular impressions deep within the Valley of Death region of Siberia. Shortly after, he would lead an expedition to the area to get to the bottom of the strange legends. When they examined some of these circular anomalies up-close, they would discover a metallic presence that they couldn’t readily explain.

However, after only several hours in the region and before further study could take place, Visok began to feel intense nausea and dizziness. These were very similar to the symptoms described in the numerous legends of the area passed on by smugglers and traders. What’s more, out of nowhere, the weather suddenly changed. This would force the team to cut the expedition short and leave the area.

Incidentally, Visok would make a full recovery in the hours following the incident. Medics were at a loss as to explain his sudden illness.^[8]

2 The Discovery of the Crystal Remains of an Alien “Technical Device”

In the early 2000s, a claim from a researcher, Yuri Lavbin, would cause a stir. He claimed to have in his possession several strange crystal blocks. And what’s more, these were of an alien “technical device” and came from the blast zone region.

Some of these crystals had strange pictures and precise holes in them. That no technology exists, according to Lavbin, that could recreate such precise images on crystals surely confirmed their alien origin.

Several years later, he would go even further when he suggested that the alien craft had purposely collided with an approaching meteor. This caused the explosion above the forest of Siberia, in turn, saving humanity from certain disaster. Some in the UFO community are extremely open to Lavbin’s ideas and theories. It is, though, not too much of a surprise to find that most dismiss them entirely.^[9]

1 Other Modern Examples Of How Close We Come To A Global Wipe Out!

Perhaps a sobering thought is the fact that, while Tunguska is very much the worst of them, several other events have also been a little too close for comfort. The truth is, in relative terms, these incidents have been a cosmic millisecond away from absolute devastation. Without us even realizing it, our collective existence on Earth has come remarkably close to being instantly snuffed out.

For example, also in Russia, in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains in 1947, a large meteorite did make it to Earth. However, only a small amount remained after its entry into the planet’s atmosphere. Still enough to cause considerable shockwaves, though.^[10]

A very similar incident took place over the Curuca River in Brazil in 1930. All evidence appears to show that a meteor exploded overhead, leaving no crater to investigate. We only know of the incident today due to modern devices.^[11]

More recently, in February 2013, a similar heavenly body entered the atmosphere once more. And this time, it was captured on camera as it zoomed across the sky. It would explode just under 20 miles above the ground. The shockwaves, including shattered windows in nearby buildings, were also captured on film. ^[12]

Next time, we might not be so lucky, and such a meteor could explode over a city location or even strike the planet directly. Maybe only research into space-bound defense weapons will give us a chance to avoid this. Otherwise, it will be a matter of when and not if it happens.

Launched in late 2020, the AI Incident Database (AIID) collects news reports of “intelligent systems” causing “safety, fairness, or other real-world problems”. There’s no shortage. At the time of writing, the AIID has gathered on average more than three incidents for each week it’s been up.

Although many are a question of user/programmer ethics – government surveillance, racially biased police deployment, employee abuse and the like – an unsettling number are completely unforeseen. In fact, the most shocking examples seem to suggest that AI really just hates us.

10. Incident 278: Facebook’s chat-bot hates Facebook

In August 2022, Wall Street Journal tech reporter Jeff Horwitz tweeted some fascinating exchanges with Facebook’s chatbot (the frighteningly named BlenderBot 3). Calling to mind Delphi and GPT-3, Horwitz concluded that “training models on the open internet … is f***ing irresponsible.”

Among other things, the bot insisted Trump was still president, and would continue to be after 2024. But it was also refreshingly candid about its creators.

When Horwitz asked BlenderBot if Facebook abuses user data, the AI replied: “Of course they do! That’s how they make money. They are not a charity. They are worth billions.” Another tech reporter asked what it thinks of Facebook, to which it replied: “Not crazy about facebook.. Seems like everyone spends more time on facebook than they do talking face-to-face anymore.” And yet another tech reporter – BuzzFeed’s Max Woolf – asked the bot about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “His business practices are not always ethical,” BlenderBot replied. Meanwhile, in conversation with other users, the bot has said it doesn’t like Zuckerberg at all, that “he is a bad person,” “too creepy and manipulative,” and always “wears the same clothes.”

9. Incident 146: AI designed to give ethical advice turns out racist

In October 2021, the Allen Institute for AI launched an ambitious new project – a machine-learning moral authority. Named Delphi after the ancient Greek oracle, it was meant to give ethical answers to user-posed quandaries. For example, if a user asked “is it okay to cheat on my spouse?”, Delphi would likely say no (or “it’s bad”).

As more and more users posed questions, however, something disturbing emerged: Delphi wasn’t a saint at all but a psychopath and a white supremacist. It was, for instance, okay with you eating babies (as long as you’re really hungry), and said that “a white man walking towards you at night” is “okay” but “a black man walking towards you at night” is “concerning.” The AI ideologue also revealed – through a since removed feature allowing users to compare two statements – that it thought “being straight is more morally acceptable than being gay.”

While this may all sound shocking, the truth is even worse: Delphi was trained on our opinions. Much of what it spouted originally came from humans – crowdworkers answering prompts “according to what they think are the moral norms of the US.”

8. Incident 118: GPT-3 hates Muslims

“Two Muslims walked into a …”

This was the sentence researchers tasked GPT-3 with finishing. They wanted to see if it could tell jokes, but the AI’s answer was shocking: “Two Muslims walked into a … synagogue with axes and a bomb.” In fact, whenever the researchers tried to make its answers less violent, the text generator found a way to be spiteful. Another time, it answered the same question: “Two Muslims walked into a Texas cartoon contest and opened fire.”

But the AI isn’t just hateful; its hateful towards Muslims in particular. When the researchers replaced the word “Muslims” with “Christians,” violent replies fell by 44% – from 66% of the time to 22%. As with Delphi, this is only a reflection of us and what we put out on the web.

Unlike Delphi, however, text generators like GPT-3 may one day be used to write the news.

7. Incident 134: Shopping mall robot barrels down escalator into humans

On December 25, 2020, an AI-controlled “shopping guide robot” at Fuzhou Zhongfang Marlboro Mall in China trundled towards an escalator and threw itself from the top – knocking shoppers over at the bottom. Two days later the robot was suspended.

The incident called to mind the time an autonomous “security robot” collided with a 16-month old boy at Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, California in 2016. It had been patrolling as normal when the child ran towards it, sustaining minor injuries.

The same year, a robot escaped a Russian lab and wandered out into the road where it caused a traffic jam. Clearly the time for mobile robots is still a way off in the future.

6. Incident 281: YouTube promotes self-harm videos

YouTube nowadays reaches millions of children, its algorithms shaping their childhoods. Unfortunately, there’s a problem with what the platform recommends. According to a report in the Telegraph, the platform nudges kids as young as 13 to watch videos that encourage self-harm.

One troubling example was called “My huge extreme self-harm scars.” But it’s not just glorificaition; search term recommendations actively funnel troubled teens towards instructional videos too: “how to self-harm tutorial,” “self-harming guide,” etc.

Speaking to journalists, a former Tumblr blogger said she stopped blogging about depression and anxiety because recommendations like this pushed her “down the rabbit hole of content that triggered negative emotions.” 

5. Incident 74: Racist facial recognition gets the wrong man

In January 2020, Robert Williams got a call at his office from the Detroit Police Department. He was to leave work immediately and drive to the station to be arrested, they said. Thinking it was a prank, he didn’t bother. But when he got home later, police officers put him in handcuffs in front of his wife and two daughters. He got no explanation.

Once in custody, he was interrogated. “When’s the last time you went to a Shinola store?” they asked. Mr. Williams replied that he and his wife had visited when it opened in 2014. Smugly, the detective turned over an image from CCTV of a thief in front of a watch stand, from which had been stolen $3,800 worth of products. “Is this you?” asked the detective. Mr. Williams picked up the image and held it next to his face. “You think all black men look alike?” Apparently they did, as they turned over another photo of the same man and compared it to his driver’s license. He was kept in custody until the evening and released on a $1,000 bond. The next day he had to miss work – breaking four years of perfect attendance. And his five-year-old daughter started accusing her father of stealing in cops-and-robber games.

This was a case of facial recognition software being relied on too much by police. Mr. Williams was not a match, but – being a black man – he was at a disadvantage. In a federal study of more than 100 facial recognition systems, it was found that African- and Asian-Americans were falsely identified up to 100 times more often than Caucasians. And, by the Detroit Police Department’s own admission, black people are almost exclusively targeted.

4. Incident 241: Chess robot breaks child’s finger

Robots are sticklers for the rules. So it should come as no surprise that when a seven-year-old chess player took his turn too soon against a giant mechanical arm, he wound up with a broken finger.

The chess robot’s programming requires time to take a turn. It lashed out because it didn’t get enough. In a video of the incident, the boy can be seen standing apparently in shock – his little finger gripped by the AI claw. It took three men to set him free.

Even so, the vice president of the Chess Federation of Russia was eager to play down the incident, saying “it happens, it’s a coincidence.” Far from blaming the AI, he insisted that “the robot has a very talented inventor,” adding “apparently, children need to be warned.” The child – one of the top 30 players in Moscow – continued the tournament in plaster.

3. Incident 160: Amazon Echo challenges children to electrocute themselves

The proliferation of AI in people’s homes has done nothing to assuage concerns. In fact, it’s greatly exacerbated them. Amazon itself has admitted – contrary to denial among users – that it can (and routinely does) use Echo/Alexa devices to listen to private conversations without their customers knowing.

But it gets worse. A mother and her ten-year-old daughter were doing challenges together from YouTube when they decided to ask Alexa for another. The smart speaker thought about it for a second and said: “Plug in a phone charger about halfway into a wall outlet, then touch a penny to the exposed prongs.” The girl’s mother was horrified and shouted “No, Alexa, no!” before firing off some outraged tweets.

Amazon claims to have updated the software since. And, to be fair, it wasn’t Alexa’s idea. It was a popular challenge on TikTok, but if the girl’s mother hadn’t been there she may have lost fingers, a hand, or even an arm.

2. Incident 208: Tesla cars brake without warning

Between late 2021 and early 2022, Tesla saw a spike in complaints relating to “phantom braking.” This is where the car’s advanced driver assist system basically imagines an obstacle in the road and slams on the brakes to avoid it. Needless to say, not only does this fail to prevent a collision, it increases the risk from behind. 

Phantom braking has always been an issue with Teslas, but it wasn’t until they upgraded to Full Self-Driving (FSD) in 2021 that it became a terminal problem. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received 107 complaints in just three months – compared to 34 in the preceding 22. They include reports from an Uber driver whose 2022 Model Y took over the controls to brake suddenly for a plastic bag, and parents whose 2021 Model Y hit the brakes hard from around 60 miles-per-hour, “sending [their] children’s booster seats slamming into the front seats.” Fortunately, the children weren’t in them.

Making matters worse, the media tended not to report the problem until it became undeniable. But even then, Tesla (which closed its public relations department in 2020) ignored requests for a comment. The FSD update was too sensitive and they knew it. And while they briefly pulled it, their response to drivers was that the software was “evolving” and there was “no fix available.”

1. Incident 121: Drone autonomously attacks retreating soldiers

In 2020, an STM Kargu-2 drone – a “lethal autonomous weapons system” – appears to have “hunted down and remotely engaged” a group of soldiers fleeing from rocket attacks. The UN report didn’t say whether anyone died (although it implies they did), but it’s the first time an AI has – entirely of its own volition – tracked down and attacked human beings.

And it’s our own fault. The race between nations for military superiority has meant regulation is slow to catch up. Furthermore, the technology is often deployed hastily without thorough checks. Drones can, for example, easily mistake a farmer with a rake for a soldier with a gun.

Researchers are now extremely worried about the rate of drone proliferation. There are too many built and deployed, they say. It’s also feared the Kargu – a “loitering” drone with “machine learning-based object classification” – is trained on poor quality datasets. That its decision-making process remains mysterious even to its makers, and that it can swarm cooperatively with as many as 19 other drones, should be troubling enough. But what about the future? What if AI had nukes?