Harm Types

Categories of harm caused by AI-enabled threats, from physical injury to systemic societal damage. Each harm type describes a distinct class of negative outcome documented in real-world incidents.

7 harm types across 7 categories

Physical

HARM-001

Physical Harm

Direct bodily injury or loss of life resulting from AI system decisions or actions.

Financial

HARM-002

Financial Harm

Monetary losses, economic damage, or destruction of financial assets caused by AI-enabled activities.

Privacy

HARM-003

Privacy Harm

Unauthorized collection, exposure, or exploitation of personal information facilitated by AI systems.

Discrimination

HARM-004

Discrimination Harm

Unfair differential treatment of individuals or groups based on protected characteristics, produced or amplified by AI systems.

Reputational

HARM-005

Reputational Harm

Damage to the public standing, credibility, or trustworthiness of individuals or organizations caused by AI-generated or AI-amplified content.

Psychological

HARM-006

Psychological Harm

Mental health impacts, emotional distress, or behavioral manipulation resulting from AI system interactions or outputs.

Systemic

HARM-007

Systemic Harm

Broad societal harms affecting institutions, democratic processes, or public trust that emerge from widespread AI deployment.