Another Southern California high school is investigating a possible distribution of nude photos of students, generated by artificial intelligence.
After a similar incident happened in Beverly Hills, this time Laguna Beach High School is at the center of an investigation.
The Laguna Beach Unified School District is looking into how the AI-generated images were created or who may be behind them. It’s also not immediately clear whether the pictures were shared on social media.
As the Laguna Beach Police Department is also involved with the investigation, the high school informed parents about the pictures earlier this week, according to the district.
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A woman whose son attends the high school said she learned about the investigation from her teen, who said the images include fake nude photos.
“I don’t think I’m surprised anymore when it happens anywhere sadly,” the woman who declined to be identified said. “[My son] said he feels some girls were objectified, and it really makes him mad [because] he has three sisters.”
The school district said it understood the potential impact the fabricated pictures can have on students, parents and faculty members.
“We recognize the profound impact that recent incidents can have on school culture,” the district said in a statement.
The district is planning to hold a series of panel discussions this week with students from each grade.
“Immediately we are focusing on having discussions around, ‘What is AI? And what is the appropriate use of AI? How can you use it for learning? What’s the appropriate way to use it to enhance your learning without impacting others?,’” Anakaren Cardenas Ureno from the district said.
Some parents said the discussions will send a strong message to all teens and encourage them to use AI with positivity and respect.
“If we can teach that to kids young, hopefully they’ll catch it and not do this type of thing and confront those who do and not let it spread,” one parent who also did not want to be identified said.
