Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been on our technological horizon for decades, but over the past several years, public awareness—and use—of AI in a wide array of applications has skyrocketed. One of the most important and impactful milestones in AI history took place in November 2022. That's when ChatGPT, an AI application that allows users to automate tasks, generate written content, and answer queries, was released to the public. 

For every person who's excited to discover all the benefits of artificial intelligence, however, there's at least one other who is wary, or even genuinely scared, about the disastrous potential of this evolving tech. It's easy to understand their misgivings, too—especially after hearing about an incident that took place in Westfield, NJ, in November 2023. 

Students whose excitement over AI technology has exceeded their own common sense could find themselves facing serious consequences. The Education Law Team at the Lento Law Firm can help. Call them at 888.535.3686 or send a message by clicking here.   

The Artificial Intelligence Incident at Westfield 

Staff members at Westfield High School became aware that falsified images had been created and circulated—images that depicted female Westfield High students and that were pornographic in nature.  

Authorities learned that the images, known as “deepfakes,” were generated over the previous summer and shared amongst male high school students in chat rooms. The boys had used artificial intelligence programs to turn an ordinary photograph into an explicitly pornographic one by replacing the subjects' clothing with convincing images of naked body parts.  

Word of the AI-generated pornography started to spread in October 2023, prompting an investigation by both school administration and local law enforcement. 

So far, out of 30+ female students whose photos were illicitly altered, seven have been positively identified. Citing confidentiality reasons as well as ongoing investigations, the Westfield School District has not released much information about the students who created the deepfakes.  

The Future of Deepfakes  

According to NBC News, an astonishing 96% of deepfakes are sexually explicit in nature and have been created without the subject's consent. 

As artificial intelligence gains increasingly greater importance in everyday activities ranging from customer service interactions and business activities to online shopping and entertainment purposes, the harmful potential of this tech must be addressed—and the penalties for misusing it must be codified. 

Many factors influence the possible charges that could be levied against creators of pornographic deepfakes, including the jurisdiction, the means by which the material is distributed, and, of course, the content of the images. Nevertheless, experts say that the creation, possession, and distribution of underage deepfake pornography generally carries the same punishment as traditional pornographic depictions of children. 

A Serious Mistake, But Not the End of the World 

It may well be that the teenage boys involved in the Westfield High case didn't understand the extent of harm caused by sharing their creations on social media. Given that teenagers' brains are still growing—at the same time, they are grappling with unfamiliar and intense hormonal fluctuations—they may not have given their AI use much thought at all.  

If your teenager has made a misguided decision like this, punishment is probably unavoidable. However, it doesn't have to be so severe that it spells total disaster for their future. It's possible for young people to take their lumps and learn a valuable lesson at the same time. 

The Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm can help mitigate overzealous penalties in cases like this. Get started getting this over with by calling 888.535.3686 or clicking here.