Boy under age 18 taken into custody for crafting explicit deepfake AI depictions involving more than 50 female schoolmates
In a shocking turn of events, Bacchus Marsh Grammar School in Australia is currently embroiled in a scandal involving the circulation of AI-generated pornographic images among students. Acting Principal Kevin Richardson has confirmed that Victoria police have been engaged, and the school is taking the matter extremely seriously.
The incident came to light when Emily, a parent and trauma therapist, discovered the explicit images while picking up her 16-year-old daughter from a sleepover. The images, described as "obscene," "mutilated," and "incredibly graphic," left Emily feeling traumatized and have sparked a sense of apprehension among parents about the potential for similar incidents to occur again.
The teenage boy initially arrested in connection to the incident has since been released pending ongoing inquiries. The affected students, ranging from Year 9 to Year 12, are receiving support from Principal Andrew Neal, who has expressed his dismay over the situation and its impact on young girls.
This is not an isolated incident. In recent years, there have been multiple cases involving AI-generated pornographic images of students at schools, leading to serious consequences such as trauma for victims, legal action, and institutional responses.
For instance, at Calabasas High School in California, a student secretly filmed a female classmate in the shower and used AI to place her face on other bodies, producing fake nude images that were then spread, including on pornographic websites. The victim endured harassment and bullying for months and later filed a lawsuit against the school district for allegedly failing to adequately protect her.
Similarly, at the University of Hong Kong, a law student manipulated AI to create graphic pornographic images of at least 20 female students. The university's response was criticized as insufficient given the severity of the privacy violations and emotional harm.
In response to such incidents, lawmakers in California have proposed extending laws that currently prohibit revenge porn and child pornography to also cover AI-generated images, reflecting growing concern over these new forms of abuse.
The consequences and issues in these cases are far-reaching. They include emotional trauma and social isolation of victims, legal actions against perpetrators and sometimes school districts for failing to protect students, criticism of institutional responses as inadequate or slow, emerging legislative efforts to address AI-generated explicit content legally, and privacy invasion and trust violations among peer groups.
These cases underscore the urgent need for schools and legal systems to develop clear policies and technical measures to prevent, identify, and address AI-generated pornographic content to safeguard students' safety and dignity.
In the Melton area, several images were transmitted via an online platform on 7 June 2024. Emily's daughter was "sick to her stomach" and "very upset" upon seeing the images. Approximately 20 girls, aged between 11 and 17, were previously victims of AI-generated nude images circulating online in a quiet town in southern Spain.
Neal emphasized that such actions are not humorous and are malicious. He stated that the responsible party should face severe consequences for their actions. The school, the police, and the community are working together to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.
[1] Calabasas High School Revenge Porn Case [2] University of Hong Kong AI-Generated Pornography Case [3] California Lawmakers Propose Extending Revenge Porn Laws to Include AI-Generated Images
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