LOS ANGELES – Nude photos of students are being artificially generated and shared among classmates at a middle school in Beverly Hills, officials revealed Monday.
Beverly Vista Middle School administration learned from students on Wednesday that classmates’ faces were being superimposed onto AI-generated nude bodies, according to a statement from the Beverly Hills School District.
“As the investigation is progressing today [Monday], more victims are being identified. We are taking every measure to support those affected and to prevent any further incidents,” a portion of the statement read.
The School District did not say if any students were currently facing disciplinary action in connection with the investigation but did say the punishment would be harsh.
“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,” the School District said.
It was also unclear if any students caught would be facing legal consequences.
“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,” the statement read. “We assure you that if any criminal offenses are discovered, they will be addressed to the fullest extent possible.”
Artificial Intelligence image generation uses machine learning algorithms to create or manipulate digital images.
In this case, the School District says the technology was used to create images that were not only unethical but deeply concerning. “We want to make it unequivocally clear that this behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our school community.”
Community members were asked to come forward with any information that may assist in the investigation.