Students at school in Beverly Hills reportedly created and shared nude AI-generated images
An investigation is underway at Beverly Vista Middle School after students reportedly created and shared nude AI-generated images of other students.
The Beverly Hills Unified School District says it is working with the Beverly Hills Police Department in investigating this incident and those responsible will face disciplinary action.
A mother of one student at the school says that many girls were targeted by the deepfake pornographic images.
"I can imagine how devastating that would be," said Jackie Kruger, the mother of an eighth grader at BVMS. "Frightening and terrible."
She says that while her daughter was not one of the victims of the incident, she still feels victimized.
"I think it made everybody alarmed and alerted to the fact that this could happen to them," Kruger said. "This is a from of bullying, and bullying should be reprimanded."
She's hopeful that the students behind the act will be punished, but above that, she wants the companies that provide the AI technology to be held responsible.
"If the onus is on them, and Congress legislates in a way to protect our children, then we will all be safer," Kruger said. "Ultimately, it's like putting a weapon in a child's hands right? The child should not use a weapon whether it's in their hands or not, but don't put the weapons in their hands."
As it stands, lawmakers are still grappling with how to address this emerging form of exploitation.
Several bills have been introduced to criminalize child sexual abuse images created by artificial intelligence, similar to those already in existence for actual images depicting children, which don't yet address the AI issue.
It remains unclear how many students were victimized in the incident, how many students were behind the act and if the images were posted anywhere on social media.
The Principal of Beverly Vista Middle School, Dr. Kelly Skon, in conjunction with BHUSD Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy and the Executive Director of School Safety, Beverly Hills Unified School District, Mark Mead, said in a message to parents that staff was alerted about the photos on Wednesday. According to the school district, the faces of students were added onto nude bodies using AI technology.
The full statement appears below:
"Dear BVMS Community,
"In the interest of full transparency, this message is being sent to all staff and parents in BHUSD as well as BHHS and BVMS students. This is an important message for our entire community.
"On Wednesday, the BVMS Administration received reports from students about the creation and dissemination by other students of Artificial Intelligence generated (AI) images that superimposed the faces of our students onto AI-generated nude bodies. As the investigation is progressing today, more victims are being identified. We are taking every measure to support those affected and to prevent any further incidents.
"We want to make it unequivocally clear that this behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our school community. Although we are aware of similar situations occurring all over the nation, we must act now. This behavior rises to a level that requires the entire community to work in partnership to ensure it stops immediately.
"Artificial Intelligence (AI) image generation is a technology that uses machine learning algorithms to create or manipulate digital images. In this context, it has been used inappropriately to create images that are not only unethical but deeply concerning.
"This emerging technology is becoming more and more accessible to individuals of all ages. We are appalled by any misuse of AI and must protect the most vulnerable members of society, our children. Parents, please partner with us and speak with your children about this dangerous behavior. Students, please talk to your friends about how disturbing and inappropriate this manipulation of images is.
"While the law is still catching up with the rapid advancement of technology and such acts may not yet be classified as a crime, we are working closely with the Beverly Hills Police Department throughout this investigation. We assure you that if any criminal offenses are discovered, they will be addressed to the fullest extent possible.
"Collectively, we are nothing short of outraged by this behavior and we are prepared to implement the most severe disciplinary actions allowable under California Education Code. Any student found to be creating, disseminating, or in possession of AI-generated images of this nature will face disciplinary actions, including, but not limited to, a recommendation for expulsion.
"We urge all members of our community to come forward with any information that may assist in this investigation. It is crucial that we stand together to protect the integrity and safety of our students. If you are worried about how this has impacted you please do not hesitate to reach out to your counselor at school. Resources for navigating a conversation about AI-generated "Deep Fakes" can be found here. Here is a Family Safety Toolkit with AI information at the end. You can also email Kristen Hartley, BulldogAid Wellness Center Lead Counselor, for support at khartley@bhusd.org.
"We thank you for your attention to this serious matter and your cooperation."
An investigation is underway.
