Microsoft's Copilot chatbot falsely accused German journalist Martin Bernklau of serious crimes he had reported on. 

A long-time court reporter in the Tübingen area of Germany, Bernklau queried the system about himself, only to find it incorrectly claimed he was a convicted child molester, an escapee from a psychiatric facility, and a fraudster who preyed on widows. 

The bot also provided Bernklau's personal information, including his full address and phone number

Copilot appears to have mistakenly cast Bernklau as a perpetrator based on his decades of reporting on abuse, violence, and fraud cases. 

After receiving a cease-and-desist letter, Microsoft attempted to remove the false information, but it reappeared after a few days.

The public prosecutor's office in Tübingen declined to press charges, stating no crime had been committed since the accusations came from an AI, not a real person.