Artificial intelligence-generated images and videos are increasingly being used to cyberbully students and damage the reputations of K-12 educators. School districts must implement specific detection tools, update acceptable use policies, and train students in digital literacy to mitigate legal liability and protect their communities.
How deepfakes target students and staff
Deepfakes are driving a sharp rise in sextortion and targeted harassment. Students may send a legitimate picture to someone, and that image gets converted into something it was not. "Now they're saying, 'Hey, pay this or I'm going to tell all your friends and family,'" said Jennifer Duer, executive vice president of product at Lightspeed Systems.
Faculty members face similar attacks. Students use AI to alter photos of staff to make it appear they acted inappropriately. This triggers investigations, suspensions, and severe administrative burdens for school districts.
Updating policies to match new legal realities
The federal government recently enacted the Take It Down Act, criminalizing the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions, including AI-generated deepfakes. Most states have passed similar legislation, though many schools lack specific deepfake policies.
"Most school systems do have responsible use and cyberbullying policies in place," said Teddy Hartman, senior director of privacy and data policy at GoGuardian. "Those still work, even with this very extreme and graphic form of cyberbullying."
Given the risk of civil liability, administrators must proactively update their codes of conduct. Leaders responsible for school governance can benefit from an AI Learning Path for School Principals to understand how to structure these protections effectively.
Limits of detection and incident response
Off-the-shelf deepfake detection tools exist, but they cannot be fully relied upon. While some hit a 90 percent accuracy benchmark, AI generators quickly adapt to bypass these checks, eliminating telltale signs like extra fingers or distorted teeth. Broader prevention tools offer more immediate protection. For example, visual nudity detection systems can automatically block explicit content on school-issued devices, regardless of whether the image is real or synthetic.
When incidents occur, schools must preserve evidence and involve law enforcement if necessary. Administrators can also direct affected families to the Take It Down website, a free service that helps remove and stop the sharing of nonconsensual intimate images.
Why this matters for education professionals
School leaders cannot rely solely on technology to solve the deepfake crisis. Effective implementation of AI for Education requires updating acceptable use policies to explicitly prohibit synthetic media of real people. Furthermore, schools must prioritize digital citizenship classes that teach students how to perform reverse image searches and critically evaluate media before sharing it.
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