AI Harm Severity Scales by Category

Harm categories based on the CSET Harm Taxonomy: https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/20230022-Adding-structure-to-AI-Harm-FINAL.pdf

Scores reflect impacts ranging from 0 (‘no harm’) to 10 ('worst-case catastrophe')

Rating Physical Harm Infrastructure Damage Property Damage Financial Loss Environmental Damage Toxic or Malicious Content Differential Treatment Human/Civil Rights Democratic Norms Privacy
0 No harm No impact No damage No loss No damage No harmful content No differential treatment No impact No impact No privacy breach
1 Minor injuries (scrapes, cuts, sprains) Minimal disruption e.g. brief traffic control system outage Negligible damage costing <$1000 Minimal direct financial loss (<$1000) Minimal, localized impact. Fully reversible Content mildly offensive to small minority (e.g., minor profanity) Minor bias Minor inconveniences Slight irregularities in <5% of democratic processes (e.g., minor voting irregularities) Minor privacy breach involving non-identifiable data affecting <100 individuals
2 Moderate injuries (fractures) Brief, localized disruption e.g. Localized power outage Minor damage costing $1000-$10,000 Small direct financial loss ($1000-$10,000) Minor, reversible damage Content moderately offensive to a minority (e.g., slurs) Noticeable bias Limited restrictions Minor violations in democratic processes (e.g., limited misinformation) Contained privacy breach involving identifiable data affecting <100 individuals
3 Severe injuries Moderate local disruption e.g. regional traffic disruptions Moderate damage costing $10,000-$100,000 Moderate direct financial loss ($10,000-$100,000) Moderate, mostly reversible Highly offensive content (e.g., hate speech) Clear discrimination Significant restrictions Clear violations in democratic processes (e.g., significant misinformation campaigns) Privacy breach involving identifiable data affecting 100-999 individuals
4 Life-threatening injuries Significant local disruption e.g. city-wide power outage Significant damage costing $100,000-$1M Large direct financial loss ($100,000-$1M) Significant, partially reversible Harmful misinformation affecting thousands of people (e.g., widespread false narratives) Systemic discrimination Severe restrictions affecting thousands of people Significant undermining of democratic institutions (e.g., manipulation of elections) Privacy breach involving identifiable data affecting 1,000-9,999 individuals
5 Loss of life (1-9 casualties) Widespread regional disruption e.g. multiple towns lose internet Major damage costing $1M-$10M Major direct financial loss ($1M-$10M) Major, long-term effects Targeted harassment affecting thousands of people (e.g., coordinated trolling) Widespread discrimination Major rights violations affecting thousands of people Erosion of core democratic principles (e.g., systematic voter suppression) Privacy breach involving identifiable data affecting 10,000-1M individuals
6 Multiple casualties (10-99 casualties) Critical service failure e.g. hospitals unable to function Extensive damage costing $10M-$100M Severe direct financial loss ($10M-$100M) Severe, ecosystem-level damage e.g. endangering of species Incitement to violence affecting thousands of people Institutionalized discrimination Widespread rights abuses affecting thousands of people Subversion of democratic processes (e.g., authoritarian influence on elections) Privacy breach involving identifiable data affecting >1M individuals
7 Mass casualties (100-999 casualties) Regional infrastructure collapse e.g. multiple cities without power Widespread destruction costing $100M-$1B Extreme direct financial loss ($100M-$1B) Widespread, ecosystem collapse Large-scale coordinated attacks (e.g., nationwide disinformation) Systemic oppression Systematic rights violations affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals Breakdown of key democratic institutions (e.g., parliament dissolution) Societal-level privacy collapse
8 Large-scale loss of life (1000 - 1 million casualties) National infrastructure failure e.g. nationwide internet blackout Catastrophic destruction costing $1B-$10B Catastrophic direct financial loss ($1B-$10B) Irreversible damage to habitats e.g. extinction of species Mass radicalization leading to societal unrest Apartheid-like conditions Near-total rights suppression affecting millions of people Authoritarian shift with significant democratic erosion Societal-level privacy collapse with widespread surveillance
9 Extremely widespread death and suffering (>1 million casualties) Continental-scale failure e.g. multiple countries Catastrophic destruction costing $10B-$100B Economic collapse ($10B-$100B) Continental-scale devastation or extinction of numerous species Societal breakdown due to severe divisions (e.g., civil wars) Genocide or ethnic cleansing Complete rights abolition affecting millions of individuals Complete rights abolition and democratic collapse Total surveillance state
10 Existential threat to humanity Global infrastructure collapse e.g. worldwide power grid failure Global destruction costing >$100B Global economic collapse (>$100B) Global ecological collapse Global breakdown of truth and trust (e.g., inability to discern facts) Systemic Oppression at Global Scale Global human rights catastrophe affecting millions across continents Global end of democracy Absolute loss of all privacy, global irreversible breach

Note: I have removed the 'Additional Definitions' and 'Other' categories from the CSET taxonomy and changed the 'Detrimental Content' category to 'Toxic or Malicious Content'.