They Dedicated Their Lives to Teaching. Then the Deepfakes Started
The deepfake epidemic in schools is affecting more than students. Four teachers tell WIRED about becoming targets of sexualized, AI-generated content—and how difficult it was to find accountability.
DeSantiago, a teacher, initially did not consider the inappropriate photos on TikTok as a significant issue, believing they would be swiftly removed. However, when he noticed the image, it resembled a recent selfie he took in college, with him wearing lingerie and posing suggestively. This discovery led to a long ordeal involving two schools, students, and administrators.
DeSantiago suspected his students as the culprits and reported the incident to the assistant principal, who assured him the school would handle it. Despite his concerns, other teachers have also experienced similar situations, with students creating sexualized photos and videos of them, potentially using AI. These incidents have caused distress and made these teachers question their work and relationships with students.
In one case, a middle school teacher saw AI-generated content being used to harass her, including manipulated public photos and a TikTok impersonation account. She sought help from her principal but found no clear guidelines on how to handle such incidents.
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