UPDATE MARCH 11, 2024: The Beverly Hills Unified School District has expelled five students who were “egregiously involved” in creating and sharing AI-generated nude images of their classmates, reports Fox11.
Beverly Vista Middle School officials said 16 of their eighth graders were victims of the scheme.
ORIGINAL FEBRUARY 29, 2024 ARTICLE:
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – The Beverly Hills Unified School District has launched an investigation into Beverly Vista Middle School over allegations that some students used artificial intelligence (AI) to create nude images of other students.
School administrators learned about the nude photos last week after they were passed around by some students, reports NBC Los Angeles. This prompted an investigation by the school district with the help of the Beverly Hills Police Department.
Faces of classmates were superimposed on AI-generated photos of nude bodies, reports ABC7. The exact number of students involved in the creation and dissemination of the images as well as the number of victims has yet to be determined.
A mother of a Beverly Vista student said many girls at the school were targeted, reports CBS News.
District officials called the incident an “appalling misuse” of AI and said the students who created the images could face expulsion or other consequences, including possible criminal consequences.
“We want to make it unequivocally clear that this behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our school community,” the district said in a statement to parents. “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.”
The district is encouraging anyone in the community who has information that will help their investigation to come forward. Counseling information has also been made available.
Pete Nicoletti, a cybersecurity expert with Check Point recommended to Fox LA that parents should try to minimize the photos their children post on social media. He also recommended parents explain to their children the seriousness of creating inappropriate images using AI.
