Sam Amico
Five middle school students in the upscale area of Beverly Hills, California, have been expelled after being part of a group that shared artificially generated nude pictures of classmates, school officials said in a news release.
Videos by Rare
“Sixteen eighth-grade students were identified as being victimized, as well as five egregiously involved eighth-grade students,” a letter from the Beverly Hills Unified School District Superintendent stated.
Officials learned that the faces of classmates were being superimposed onto nude bodies and shared at Beverly Vista Middle School in late February.
“Significant in this matter was the containment within twenty-four hours of the isolated incident regarding the involved parties,” the superintendent stated in the letter.
“Furthermore, we recognize that kids are still learning and growing, and mistakes are part of this process. However, accountability is essential, and appropriate measures have been taken.”
Per the Los Angeles Times, the board of education voted to expel the five 8th graders involved in the fake nude scandal.
The LA Times went on to report the following:
According to Supt. Michael Bregy, the five students who were the focus of its investigation were the “most egregiously involved” in the creation and sharing of the images, which superimposed pictures of real students’ faces onto simulated nude bodies generated by artificial intelligence. The victims, the district said, were 16 eighth-grade students.
Shared through messaging apps, the images outraged parents and school officials, prompting Bregy to tell parents in a message last month that he was prepared to impose “the most severe disciplinary actions allowed by state law.” The students involved were identified and disciplined in less than 24 hours, but the district did not move to expel them until it completed its investigation.
“This incident has spurred crucial discussions on the ethical use of technology, including AI, underscoring the importance of vigilant and informed engagement within digital environments” Bregy said in a message to parents, via the Times. “In response, our district is steadfast in its commitment to enhancing education around digital citizenship, privacy, and safety for our students, staff, and parents which was immediately reemphasized at all schools following the incident.”
