A disturbing trend of AI-generated pornography is plaguing US schools, with the latest scandal at Lancaster Country Day School in Pennsylvania highlighting the vulnerability of students to this new form of abuse. Dozens of girls, mostly underage, have become victims of deepfakes, with the manipulated images circulating on platforms like Discord, causing significant psychological distress and long-term repercussions. This incident underscores the urgency for schools, law enforcement, and policymakers to address the escalating threat of AI-driven sexual exploitation.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — An American mother expressed her worry about the future, her voice laced with anger, concerning her teenage daughter, who is among dozens of girls targeted in another AI-driven pornography scandal that has shaken a U.S. school.
The controversy that engulfed Lancaster Country Day School in Pennsylvania last year exemplifies a new reality for students and educators struggling to keep pace with the proliferation of inexpensive, readily available artificial intelligence tools that have empowered the creation of hyperrealistic deepfakes. One parent, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, shared that her 14-year-old daughter came to her 'hysterically crying' last summer after discovering AI-generated nude pictures of herself circulating among her peers. 'What are the ramifications to her long term?' the mother asked, voicing fears that the manipulated images could resurface when her daughter applies to college, begins dating, or enters the job market. 'You can't tell that they are fake.' Last month, multiple charges, including sexual abuse of children and possession of child pornography, were filed against two teenage boys whom authorities allege created the images. Investigators uncovered 347 images and videos affecting a total of 60 victims, mostly female students at the private school, on the messaging app Discord. All but one victim was younger than 18. The scandal represents the latest in a wave of similar incidents in schools across U.S. states, from California to New Jersey, prompting a warning from the FBI last year that such child sexual abuse material, including realistic AI-generated images, was illegal. 'The rise of generative AI has collided with a long-standing problem in schools: the act of sharing non-consensual intimate imagery,' said Alexandra Reeve Givens, chief executive of the nonprofit Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT). 'In the digital age, kids desperately need support to navigate tech-enabled harassment.' A CDT survey of public schools last September found that 15 percent of students and 11 percent of teachers knew of at least one 'deepfake that depicts an individual associated with their school in a sexually explicit or intimate manner.' Such non-consensual imagery can lead to harassment, bullying, or blackmail, sometimes causing devastating mental health consequences. The mother who spoke to AFP said she knows of victims who have avoided school, experienced difficulties eating, and required medical attention and counseling to cope with the ordeal. She shared that she and other parents were brought into a detective's office to scrutinize the deepfakes and were shocked to find printed out images stacked a 'foot and a half' high. 'I had to see pictures of my daughter,' she said. 'If someone looked, they would think it's real, so that's even more damaging.' The alleged perpetrators, whose names have not been released, are accused of lifting pictures from social media, altering them using an AI application, and sharing them on Discord. The mother told AFP that the fakes of her daughter were primarily altered from public photos on the school's Instagram page as well as a screenshot of a FaceTime call. A simple online search reveals dozens of apps and websites that allow users to create 'deepnudes,' digitally removing clothing, or superimposing selected faces onto pornographic images. 'Although results may not be as realistic or compelling as a professional rendition, these services mean that no technical skills are needed to produce deepfake content,' Roberta Duffield, director of intelligence at Blackbird.AI, told AFP. Only a handful of U.S. states have passed laws to address sexually explicit deepfakes, including Pennsylvania at the end of last year. The top leadership at the Pennsylvania school stepped aside after parents of the victims filed a lawsuit accusing the administration of failing to report the activity when they were first alerted to it in late 2023. Researchers contend that schools are ill-equipped to handle the threat of AI technology evolving at a rapid pace, partly because the law is still playing catch-up. 'Underage girls are increasingly subject to deepfake exploitation from their friends, colleagues, school classmates,' said Duffield. 'Education authorities must urgently develop clear, comprehensive policies regarding the use of AI and digital technologies.
AI Deepfakes Child Pornography School Scandal Sexual Abuse Technology Risks
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
SM Foundation Builds New School Building for Santa Barbara Central SchoolSM Foundation recently donated a new two-story, fully equipped school building to Santa Barbara Central School in Zamboanga City. The school serves 3,000 students, mostly Muslim, and is the pilot school for the Madrassah Educational Program, which teaches Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education.
Read more »
Top Line Fuel Retailer Seeks IPO to Fuel Growth in 2025Top Line Business Development Corp., a Cebu-based fuel retailer, is set to launch its initial public offering (IPO) in the first quarter of 2025. The company aims to raise capital to expand its operations, including building fuel depots, purchasing tankers and trucks, and constructing additional service stations.
Read more »
SM Foundation Turns Over 109th School Building to Sta. Barbara Central School in Zamboanga CitySM Foundation continues its mission of supporting education and community development by turning over its 109th school building to Sta Barbara Central School in Zamboanga City. The new two-story, four-classroom building is equipped with modern facilities and designed to create a conducive learning environment.
Read more »
Newly Built School Building Opens for Zamboanga City's Sta. Barbara Central Elementary SchoolSM Prime and Ayala Land have donated a new school building to Sta. Barbara Central Elementary School in Zamboanga City, replacing facilities destroyed during the 2013 Zamboanga siege.
Read more »
Fuel Economy Labels Mandatory for Vehicle Sales in PhilippinesStarting this quarter, all motor vehicles sold in the Philippines must be equipped with fuel economy labels, as mandated by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation law. The labels aim to empower consumers to make informed purchasing decisions based on fuel efficiency. The program, implemented by the Energy Department, requires manufacturers, importers, distributors, dealers, and rebuilders to register and provide technical information on fuel economy ratings for all models. A dual labeling system will be used, comprising a removable fuel economy label (FEL) and a fixed fuel economy sticker (FES) with a QR code linking to detailed vehicle information.
Read more »
New fuel price hike takes effect on Christmas EveLOCAL oil companies implemented another round of increases for fuel this week, with diesel having the biggest price adjustment following recent oil-related developments in the US.
Read more »