Teens are now using AI chatbots to create and spread nude images of classmates, alarming education experts
"Nudify" is an umbrella term referring to a plethora of widely available apps and websites that allow users to alter photos of full-dressed individuals and virtually undress them. Some apps can create nude images with just a headshot of the victim.
Don Austin, the superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District, told Fox News Digital that this type of online harassment can be more relentless compared to traditional in-person bullying.
"It used to be that a bully had to come over and push you. Palo Alto is not a community where people are going to come push anybody into a locker. That doesn't happen. But it's not immune from online bullying," Austin said.
'Sound Of Freedom' Producer Says Ai Tools Helped Nab Child Trafficker That Eluded Fbi For 10 Years
"The differences, I think, are worse. Now your bully can be completely anonymous. You don't even know where it's coming from," he continued.
Read On The Fox News App
Austin noted that conversations with mental health professionals have unearthed another troubling trend wherein kids who have become the victim of online bullying can become "addicted" to searching for negative content about themselves.
"They're looking, monitoring the exact place where the harm is coming from," he said.
Growing up in the 1980s, Austin recalled how a student could do something stupid on a weekend and peers would whisper and talk about that individual on a Monday.
Flash-forward to the early days of the internet when Austin was starting his professional career: at this point, students could post pictures and comments about classmates and display that to the entire school.
Protecting Your Daughter From Deepfakes And Online Abuse
"We're at a place now where you can be doing nothing and stories and pictures about you are posted online. They're fabricated. They're completely made up through AI and it can have your voice or face. That's a whole other world," he told Fox News Digital.
Last August, the office of the San Francisco City Attorney filed a lawsuit accusing 16 "nudify websites" of violating nonconsensual intimate images and child abuse material laws. In the first half of 2023, the websites in question were visited over 200 million times.
The parent companies of the apps that create these hyper-realistic "deepfake pornography" images have largely remained unscathed by state legislation. However, at least one state, Minnesota, is considering a bill that would hold them accountable for certain image generations.
Teen Deepfake Pornography Victim Warns Future Generation Is 'At Risk' If Ai Crime Bill Fails
Though technology will likely always outpace policy, Austin stressed the importance of ongoing collaboration and communication between educators, parents, and students to redefine acceptable behaviors and provide support for those affected by AI and social media.
Nearly a decade ago, Austin fostered a working relationship with SmartSocial founder Josh Ochs, whose organization hosts weekly live events that teach parents how to keep their kids safe online.
Ochs told Fox News Digital that in a growing number of cases, these apps are subjecting school-aged teens to humiliation, harassment and online sexual exploitation. The creation of these images can also lead to legal ramifications.
"Kids these days will upload maybe a headshot of another kid at school and the app will recreate the body of the person as though they're nude. This causes extreme harm to that kid that might be in the photo, and especially their friends as well and a whole family," he told Fox News Digital.
Ai 'Deepfakes' Of Innocent Images Fuel Spike In Sextortion Scams, Fbi Warns
Ochs emphasized the importance of parents having open and frequent dialogues with their children about online safety and the dangers of these apps, while also taking an interest in their personal lives.
Though some parents push to give their kids greater autonomy and privacy, Ochs said parents should have access to their children's devices and social media accounts (via the passcode), just as they would have a spare set of keys to a car.
"Before you give your kids a phone or social media, it's time to have that discussion early and often. Hey, this is a loaner for you, and I can take it back at any time because you could really hurt our family," he said.
The U.S. Senate in February unanimously approved a bill by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that would make it a federal crime to publish, or threaten to publish, nonconsensual intimate imagery, including "digital forgeries," also known as deepfakes, crafted by AI.Original article source: Teens are now using AI chatbots to create and spread nude images of classmates, alarming education experts
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
12 minutes ago
- Associated Press
What to know about the fatal attack of a married couple at Devil's Den park in Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Authorities have released a photo and a composite sketch of a person they are trying to question as they investigate the fatal attack of a married couple in front of their children at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas. The search for the man who killed the hikers at a state park in northwest Arkansas entered its fifth day, while many details about the attack remain unclear. Here are some things to know: Couple found dead on a walking trail Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead Saturday on a walking trail at Devil's Den. Their daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members, authorities have said. Police have released a composite sketch and photo of a person of interest they are searching for in the attack. Along with the drawing, state police released a statement saying the suspect 'likely sustained an injury while attacking the couple.' It did not go into further detail. The State Police has said it has received numerous calls. But the agency has released few details, including how the couple was killed and whether it believes the killer is still in the area. The FBI has said its Little Rock field office is assisting in the investigation. Police released composite sketch of person of interest Police have not identified the killer or given a possible motive for the attack. But they have provided a description, the composite sketch and the photo of a person of interest. The photo was provided by a witness who was at Devil's Den State Park Saturday, police said. The photo was taken from behind and does not show the person of interest's face. Officials described him as a white male wearing a long-sleeved shirt with sleeves rolled up, dark pants, a dark ball cap and sunglasses. He was carrying a black backpack and wore fingerless gloves. He was seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan with a license plate partly covered by tape. The car, possibly a Mazda, may have been traveling on nearby State Highway 170 or State Highway 220. Victims had moved from South Dakota Clinton and Cristen Brink had just moved from South Dakota to the small city of Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas. Their water had been connected less than two weeks ago, Mayor David Faulk said. Clinton Brink had been scheduled to start a job as a milk delivery driver Monday in the nearby Fayetteville area, according to Hiland Dairy, his employer. Cristen Brink had been licensed as a nurse in Montana and South Dakota before moving to Arkansas. The Brink family said the couple died 'heroes protecting their little girls.' Park known for hiking trails Devil's Den is a 2,500-acre state park near West Fork, about 140 miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, the state capital. Devil's Den is known for its hiking trails and rock formations, and it is a short drive from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Walmart's Bentonville headquarters. It was selected as a state park site in the 1930s. The park's trails, which lead to the surrounding Ozark National Forest, remained closed Wednesday. Authorities have asked the public to report tips and urged trail-goers who were at Devil's Den on Saturday to look through their photos and videos for possible images of the suspect. Police have also asked local residents to review any security or game camera footage for unusual activity or images matching the vehicle.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sources: Stolen Miami Heat memorabilia at center of federal probe
Federal authorities are conducting a massive memorabilia theft investigation involving items stolen from the Miami Heat, sources have confirmed to cllct. The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office have questioned people who purchased items from someone with access to the Heat's uniform equipment room, according to those sources. The investigation was first reported publicly by Amin Elhassan on "The Dan LeBatard Show" on Monday. Elhassan called the theft 'one of the largest heists of this kind,' and said it involved jerseys worn during the NBA Finals. Over the years, a large amount of items allegedly have been taken from the room and sold, sometimes publicly in online marketplaces such as eBay and WhatNot, as well as on other auction sites. Sold game-used items run the gamut from superstars such as LeBron James, whose jerseys sold for seven figures, to role players such as Gabe Vincent, sources confirmed. Many of the items were taken by an individual with access to the uniforms, who often was unaware of their full value, according to sources. The items were then passed on to an individual or individuals who photo-matched said items and then further profited by selling them as from a particular game or set of games. Sources say the Heat, in most cases, were unaware the items had gone missing and were being sold. A Heat representative told cllct the team cannot comment on the active investigation. Messages left for the FBI and the U.S Attorney's Office were not immediately returned. RELATED STORIES: Indiana police started fake memorabilia probe in February Autograph dealer identified as man found dead in Indiana raid of fake memorabilia U.S. border agents seize $1.43 million worth of fake sports merchandise Thousands of fake memorabilia items discovered in Texas probe Why so many Michael Jordan autographs are fake: A cllct investigation Many sports teams have been relatively nonchalant about past game-used jerseys, often storing them in small closets where many people have had access to them. Others teams have allowed jerseys to completely leave their facilities. Game-used jerseys are property of the team, but are often removed from facilities without team consent or are given to a player without permission — either gifted or to be sold. While the massive prices from game-used jerseys have driven teams to pay more attention to their inventory — the NBA has a deal with Sotheby's that allows the league to auction off current jerseys — the question is what can be clawed back from their past, especially with many of the most valuable pieces of memorabilia changing hands several times. Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.
New York Post
41 minutes ago
- New York Post
FBI chief Kash Patel finds ‘burn bags' of Trump-Russia documents in secret room
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel discovered 'burn bags' filled with thousands of documents dating back to the bureau's Trump-Russia probe during the 2016 campaign, a source familiar with the findings told The Post Wednesday. One of the documents, discovered in a purported secret room at the FBI's DC headquarters, is a classified annex to the 2023 report by then-special counsel John Durham that scrutinized the original probe, code-named 'Crossfire Hurricane.' The 29-page appendix to the Durham report, which has never been publicly released, includes details of the intelligence he reviewed, according to Fox News Digital, which first reported on the discovery. In official parlance, 'burn bags' refer to containers that hold classified documents that are meant to be destroyed after a certain period of time. It was not immediately clear whether the documents found by Patel had yet to reach their destroy date or were preserved due to an oversight by officials. 4 FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a news conference at the Manassas FBI Field Office, March 27, 2025, in Manassas, VA. AP The annex will be declassified and turned over to Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for eventual public release, a source confirmed to The Post. Grassley's office didn't immediately respond to an inquiry about when the documents would be released. Fox News Digital reported Tuesday that the annex includes information that foreign sources warned members of the US intelligence community that the FBI would help spread a narrative that the 2016 Trump campaign illegally colluded with the Kremlin to win the election — before the bureau launched 'Crossfire Hurricane' in July 2016. Those involved in examining the papers include Patel, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi and acting National Security Agency Director William Hartman. 'I want everything to be shown,' President Trump told reporters Wednesday when asked about the news. 'You know, as long as it's fair and reasonable, I think it will be shown.' 4 A person walks out of an FBI field office, near images of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and FBI Director Kash Patel, at a U.S. immigration court in Manhattan, in New York City, July 10, 2025. REUTERS The FBI investigation culminated in the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report in March 2019, which found that there were links between the Russians and Trump, but that there was no evidence that he 'conspired' with the Kremlin. Then-Attorney General Bill Barr assigned Durham to investigate the origins of Crossfire Hurricane in October 2020, after congressional investigators discovered the FBI had lied in statements when obtaining warrants to surveil then-Trump adviser Carter Page. Durham's final report concluded 'Crossfire Hurricane' was 'seriously flawed' and had no basis in evidence. 4 FBI Director Kash Patel testifies during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 8, 2025. AP 4 President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam November 11, 2017. REUTERS At the time of the Mueller investigation, Patel was chief investigator for then-House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who launched an investigation into the conduct of 'Crossfire Hurricane' in 2017. Last month, Patel hinted at the discovery in an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. 'When I first got to the bureau, [I] found a room that [former FBI Director James] Comey and others hid from the world in the Hoover Building, full of documents and computer hard drives that no one had ever seen or heard of,' he said. 'They [l]ocked the key and hid access and just said, 'No one's ever gonna find this place.'' Earlier this month, Gabbard released evidence of what she called a 'treasonous conspiracy' by Obama administration officials to undermine his successor, a claim former CIA Director John Brennan and ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper called 'patently false' Wednesday. A key finding released by Gabbard is that the Obama administration was prepared to conclude that Russia played no role in influencing the 2016 election results before Comey's FBI pulled rank. In a New York Times op-ed published Wednesday, Brennan and Clapper insisted that Moscow did influence the election by shaping voter preferences before the voting booths — even if they didn't change the numbers directly. 'The real politicization is the calculated distortion of intelligence by administration officials, notably Mr. Trump's directors of national intelligence and the CIA, positions that should be apolitical,' they wrote. 'We find it deeply regrettable that the administration continues to perpetuate the fictitious narrative that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 election. It should instead acknowledge that a foreign nation-state — a mortal enemy of the United States — routinely meddles in our national elections and will continue to do so unless we take appropriate bipartisan action to stop it.'
