Beverly Hills police are investigating the distribution of fake intimate photos of schoolchildren generated by AI
BVMS
The Beverly Hills Police Department (California, USA) has opened a criminal investigation into an incident at Beverly Vista High School, where students using artificial intelligence tools fabricated and mass distributed nude photos of classmates.
Here's What We Know
According to Deputy City Manager Keith Sterling, the photos depicted nude bodies with the faces of real schoolchildren superimposed on them. The photos were actively circulated on messenger and social media.
School officials were notified of the "AI-generated nude photos" last week, Sterling's letter said.
Despite the quick response from authorities, the incident caused shock and dismay among students and parents. Many of them told reporters they are now afraid to attend school.
According to cybersecurity expert Mary Anne Franks, such material can qualify as harassment and stalking, and in some cases, child pornography.
"We do have federal and other prohibitions against certain depictions of actual children’s faces or other parts of their bodies that are mixed in with other things", Franks explained.
However, the expert added, for images to be illegal, they must show sexually explicit behaviour. This is already a higher criterion than mere nudity.
But despite the legal tools available, Franks called for stronger regulation of the field of generative AI to prevent the misuse of such technologies, potentially causing serious harm to minors.
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Source: NBC News
