Several school districts in the Los Angeles area are dealing with "inappropriate," AI-generated images of students. These images have been found circulating online and through texts recently.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is specifically investigating incidents at Fairfax High School. They stated, "These allegations are taken seriously, do not reflect the values of the Los Angeles Unified community and will result in appropriate disciplinary action if warranted."
The images appear to have been made and shared via a third-party messaging app, not associated with LAUSD. The district emphasizes its commitment to training on ethical technology use and enhancing digital citizenship education.
AI technology allows for the creation of disturbingly realistic fake images and videos, such as superimposing people's faces onto nude bodies.
Titania Jordan from Bark Technologies highlights the societal issue of AI misuse. "Deepfakes aren’t just like fun TikTok or Snapchat filters. They can have devastating real-life consequences," she said.
Other districts like Beverly Hills Unified and Laguna Beach Unified have encountered similar problems. Dana Hills High School has reported AI-generated nude images of students being shared.
Dana Hills High School Principal Jason Allemann expressed concern, stating, "These actions compromise individual dignity and undermine our supportive environment."
A Dana Hills senior described the fake images as alarmingly realistic. "It’s just kind of scary to see stuff like that happen," she said.
Earlier in Beverly Hills, middle school students reported inappropriate AI images circulating at Beverly Vista Middle School. The district responded, "This behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect our values. We must act now."
The district acknowledges the legal challenges, noting that these actions may not be technically illegal yet. However, they are collaborating with local police to address potential crimes.
Titania Jordan also mentioned that celebrities like Taylor Swift have been targets of deepfake misuse. This raises broader awareness but shows a gap in legal protections against such technology.
Jordan stresses the need for community education on the risks of deepfake technology. "It’s not just about fake nudes; deepfakes can be used in scams and even political manipulation," she warned.
