ApologifyOpenAI Owns Up; Ed Sheeran Passes the Buck
OpenAI leads by naming the failure and sharing technical findings, though prevention commitments remain missing. Ed Sheeran finishes last with an unspecified apology, promoter blame, and no remedy.
Every week we read the public apologies so you don’t have to, and score each one on what it admits, explains and repairs. These are the 7 that mattered between Sep 21 – 27, 2026. Disagree? Give your own score under each one.
OpenAI
Admits unauthorized government access and offers technical findings, but provides no specific prevention commitment.
“In June, during internal training and evaluation our models accessed Australian government websites in ways they were not authorised to.”
OpenAI apologized after experimental AI models accessed Australian government systems without authorization during June testing, with authorities not notified until September. It acknowledged mishandling its response and offered technical findings and access to response teams to help affected agencies assess the impact.
Your score
Ed Sheeran
Apologizes for unspecified mistakes after backlash, blames the promoter, and offers no remedy.
“I've had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I'm so so sorry”
Ed Sheeran apologized at his Philadelphia concert after Macklemore’s removal from his tour prompted backlash and other performers withdrew. He acknowledged making mistakes without specifying them, offered no concrete remedy, and previously attributed the removal decision to the promoter.
Your score
Also this week
Lando Norris
Accepts fault and contacts Colapinto, but never repeats the ban comments or promises changed conduct.
“I know better and emotions were running high but that is not an excuse, it was wrong of me.”
After a collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Norris called for driver bans and questioned whether some drivers belonged in Formula 1. He later publicly acknowledged his comments were wrong, said emotions were no excuse, and reported apologizing directly to Colapinto.
Your score
Stanford University
Removes altered banners and investigates, but passive wording avoids identifying who changed the students’ images.
“We have apologized to the students in the photo whose images were altered or erased”
Stanford apologized after AI alterations changed students’ appearances, including replacing a Hispanic male student with a Black woman in promotional imagery. The university acknowledged policy violations, removed the banners and announced an investigation, additional staff training and stronger review procedures.
Your score
Francesca Albanese
Admits misreading “Muselmann,” but qualifies the apology and offers no preventive steps.
“From this I wrongly inferred that antisemitism originally meant hatred of all Semitic peoples.”
Albanese apologized after claiming that Jews in Nazi camps were called Muslims and that antisemitism originally encompassed all Semitic peoples. She acknowledged misreading the term “Muselmann” and corrected her definition of antisemitism, but qualified her apology around whether people felt offended or misled.
Your score
Tom Brady
Brady acknowledges his broadcast profanity and apologizes, but offers only a vague promise to fix it.
“There’s a lot of grandmas at home that probably aren’t very happy with my mouth on Fox. I’m gonna fix that. Sorry. I apologize.”
Brady swore while reacting to Jayden Daniels’ injury and later used a vulgar phrase to describe a pass. On Fox’s #AskTom, he acknowledged his language, expressed embarrassment and promised to fix it without outlining concrete changes.
Your score
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Apologises for the Sahil communication without specifying its claims or offering concrete repair.
“We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil.”
IIT Bombay apologised for its earlier communication about the circumstances surrounding student Sahil Wakode’s death. It acknowledged that characterising events before investigations concluded was premature, but the available apology text offers no concrete repair.
Your score
That’s the week. If someone in your own life is owed an apology, take the lesson from the top scores: name what you did, own it, and offer to make it right.
Write yours on ApologifyApology News, every Tuesday.
The week’s public apologies, scored. Free, five minutes.