161 Historical Cases
From ancient mining operations to colonial exploitation—document how societies have externalized harm across millennia. Includes Roman Mining, Atlantic Slave Trade, and Radium Girls.
Explore Historical Cases →5,000+ Years of Human-Caused Harm. Solutions for a Better Future.
"What better use of the history of our atrocities than to learn from our mistakes?"
The Comprehensive Harm Database is a digital museum and educational resource dedicated to documenting the predictable patterns of human-caused harm. From Ancient Sumer to modern Silicon Valley, the mechanisms of negligence remain startlingly consistent. By analyzing 312 cases through our proprietary Harm-Blindness Framework, we provide researchers, policymakers, and organizations with the historical context needed to prevent future tragedies. This is not just an archive of failure—it is a roadmap for ethical safety.
From ancient mining operations to colonial exploitation—document how societies have externalized harm across millennia. Includes Roman Mining, Atlantic Slave Trade, and Radium Girls.
Explore Historical Cases →Modern corporate harms spanning pharma, automotive, tech, finance, and energy. Learn from billion-dollar disasters like Dieselgate, Boeing 737 MAX, and Fen-Phen.
Browse Corporate Cases →Explore our proprietary methodology for identifying where decisions go wrong. Learn the four critical checkpoints that prevent harm: Ideation, Design, Testing, and Launch.
Learn About the Framework →A comprehensive library of existing frameworks, risk trackers, and exploitation databases from around the world. Covering all industries (not just AI) to prevent harm.
Browse External Resources →Every case study analyzed through the Harm-Blindness Framework. Every harm was preventable with proper stakeholder analysis and ethical design.
Our proprietary methodology for identifying where decisions go wrong. Every case maps to four critical checkpoints:
Who's missing from your stakeholder analysis? Identifying the unseen victims before a concept is approved.
What perverse incentives are embedded in your system? Architectural choices that encourage negligence.
Are you testing with the most vulnerable populations? Moving beyond "happy path" QA.
Is this defensible? What accountability exists? Ensuring long-term stewardship.
This database grows through collaboration. Whether you've experienced harm, witnessed exploitation, or identified gaps in our coverage—we want to hear from you.
Dive into centuries of documented harm. Learn from past failures. Prevent future tragedies.