In the corridors of her Illinois high AI Abuse school a few weeks back, a 15-year-old girl discovered that one of her sophomore peers was utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to fabricate explicit images of her. According to a friend, numerous altered pictures of her and other teenage girls, including some of their teachers, were circulating. By the time the principal contacted her mother, Hyder had become the 22nd girl on his list.
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AI Abuse
Stephanie Essex, along with her daughter, Stevie Hyder, is advocating for schools to take a firm stand against AI abuse after a fellow student used it to generate inappropriate images of her daughter and several other teenage girls. “Initially, it was very upsetting,” remarked Stephanie Essex. “However, it didn’t take long before we both became extremely angry about the situation.”
This frustration is rapidly becoming a prevalent sentiment among many parents, particularly those with young daughters, following a series of similar incidents nationwide. As AI continues to permeate American society and economy, school administrators are witnessing its infiltration into educational institutions.
However, policing this emerging technology proves to be a formidable challenge, as Hyder’s principal, Mike Baird, acknowledged in a message to parents. “Reflecting on recent events, it has become evident that we are encountering new challenges in the realm of technology and social media,” he wrote in a letter dated March 15. “There is no predefined strategy for much of what we are facing.”
With incidents arising, school principals and parents find themselves navigating through a maze of district policies and state laws, some of which are stricter than others.
An incident in Florida resulted in the arrest of two middle school boys in December, as indicated by a warrant obtained by USA TODAY. However, consequences in other states and school districts have thus far been less severe.
Experts emphasize the need for administrators to establish clear regulations regarding AI to prevent similar incidents. “By taking proactive measures for everyone, we will position ourselves much better than trying to reactively address each instance,” stated Kate Ruane, a free speech attorney at the Center for Democracy and Technology.
In December, two middle school boys from a charter school in Miami were arrested for allegedly using an AI app to create explicit images of their classmates, aged between 12 and 13, according to an arrest warrant. The boys faced third-degree felonies under a state law prohibiting the unauthorized distribution of sexually explicit images.
Florida’s statute is particularly stringent, according to Mary Anne Franks, a professor at George Washington University Law School. However, Franks views the Miami case as an example of overcharging, citing the young age of the defendants.
Following a similar scandal in Beverly Hills, California, five eighth-graders at Beverly Vista Middle School were involved in using AI to superimpose the faces of 16 other eighth-graders onto nude bodies. The Beverly Hills Police Department initiated an investigation, and the school district expelled the five students involved.
In Hyder’s case at Richmond-Burton Community High School in Illinois, the student responsible for disseminating altered photos was using his school email address, according to Essex. Administrators were unaware of the situation until another student reported it. The Richmond Police Department is investigating the incident, with law enforcement providing daily updates. The students implicated in creating the photos are unlikely to return for the remainder of the school year, as per a message from Principal Baird to the community.
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