AI Deepfakes: A Growing Concern for American Schools
Emerging Challenges in the Age of AI
The era of simple pranks involving doodles on a teacher's picture or creating funny images of classmates is long gone. Today, schools in America are grappling with a much more serious issue. They are being compelled to devise emergency plans to tackle the potential appearance of sexually explicit images of students or teachers, created by artificial intelligence (AI), on social media platforms.
In two distinct cases, school principals were depicted using racist and violent language against black students in AI-generated deepfakes. One of these deepfakes was created by students, while the other was the handiwork of a disgruntled athletic director, who was later apprehended.
Deepfakes are defined as AI-generated voices, images, or videos created without consent, used to produce sexual imagery, commit fraud, or spread misinformation, according to a nonprofit group focused on AI regulation. As education leaders rush to establish policies to minimize the damage caused by deepfakes, and state legislators strive to criminalize such harmful acts, the technology to combat AI tools capable of replicating a person’s image and voice is still in development, according to Andrew Buher, founder and managing director of the Opportunity Labs nonprofit research organization.
Legislative Measures against Deepfakes
On September 29, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill criminalizing AI-generated child pornography. In California, it is now a felony to possess, publish, or distribute images of individuals under the age of 18 simulating sexual conduct. Similar laws have been enacted in New York, Illinois, and Washington State.
At the national level, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has proposed the Take It Down Act, which would criminalize the intentional disclosure of nonconsensual intimate visual depictions. The federal bill defines a deepfake as a video or image that is generated or substantially modified using machine-learning techniques or any other computer-generated or machine-generated means to falsely depict an individual’s appearance or conduct within an intimate visual depiction.
Deepfakes Threaten School Districts
School districts are seeking guidance on this emerging problem that threatens not just students, but also staff. In Maryland’s Pikesville High School, a fake audio recording of the principal was created. School officials sought the assistance of local police agencies and the FBI. The suspect, an athletic director, was charged with theft, stalking, disruption of school operations, and retaliation against a witness.
As AI technology continues to evolve, it may be necessary to develop a watermarking system for generated audio or video to replace outdated systems for monitoring and safeguarding school computer use.
Deepfakes and Social Media
In Carmel, New York, high school students used AI to impersonate a middle school principal. The deepfakes were posted on TikTok. The students were disciplined under school code of conduct guidelines but not charged criminally. The incident left a significant impact on the community, with many condemning the blatant racism, hatred, and disregard for humanity displayed in the videos.
One parent, Abigail Lyons, said the incident scared her daughter, and that events like school lockdowns or emergency drills still trigger anxiety and fear stemming from the 2023 deepfake incident.
Bottom Line
The advent of AI deepfakes presents a new and complex challenge for schools across America. As technology continues to evolve, it is crucial for schools, lawmakers, and communities to work together to protect students and staff from the potential harm caused by deepfakes. What are your thoughts on this issue? Share this article with your friends to spark a conversation. Remember, you can sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.
