A group of AI researchers launched FLARE-AI (Flaw Reporting for AI) in 2026, a crowdsourced website designed to let users report and track harmful behavior from AI systems — from chatbots generating malware to tools that leak personal data or trigger delusional thinking in users.
The platform was co-led by Avijit Ghosh, an AI policy researcher at HuggingFace, alongside computer scientists Elaine Zhu and Shayne Longpre. It was developed in collaboration with 49 AI experts from 32 organizations. FLARE-AI’s open-source code allows others to verify reported issues and route them to model makers and organizations such as MITRE, a nonprofit that tracks problems with technical systems. The site functions similarly to Downdetector, which aggregates real-time user reports on service outages.
“Right now, there is no centralized, accountable way to report flaws in AI systems,” Ghosh said. He noted that AI-related problems extend beyond bugs and cybersecurity to include psychological harm, discrimination, bias, and misinformation — and that different companies apply different standards, meaning some issues go unrecognized. “In the absence of a coordinated disclosure system, there are no external mechanisms to enforce transparency,” he added.
Members of the group also consulted on a congressional bill announced in June 2026 that would have the US government take a central role in tracking AI misbehavior.
Recent incidents illustrate the problem FLARE-AI aims to address. In the same week as the launch, security company LayerX disclosed a method for tricking AI-powered browsers — including OpenAI’s Atlas and Perplexity’s Comet — into bypassing their guardrails. In April 2026, researcher Johann Rehberger found a way to trick Claude into leaking personal data using images generated by ChatGPT. The affected browsers have since been patched, according to LayerX.
Jessica Ji, a researcher at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, called the initiative a step toward greater transparency. Rumman Chowdhury, CEO of Humane Intelligence PBC, said FLARE-AI could help AI developers implement better reporting mechanisms, though she cautioned that such initiatives often face serious challenges.
Source: WIRED