School officials at Westfield High School in Westfield, New Jersey are trying to figure out who was behind "deepfake" photos meant to look like nude photos of female students. The AI-generated images were passed around by boys at the high school starting on October 16. And then the girls themselves started asking questions.
A mother of one of the girls who was superimposed in the images said that her daughter noticed the boys were acting "weird" that day at school.
The New York Post reports it took female students days to get to the bottom of what all the whispers were about. On October 20, one boy finally confessed what was going on. Someone had generated fake AI images of female students meant to look like nude photos. The male student, or students, then shared the nudes with other boys in private group chats.
Once school officials learned of what was going on, several female students were told by staff members that boys had identified them in the images. It's unclear if staff members have seen the photos themselves or were just told about them by students.
"I am terrified by how this is going to surface and when. My daughter has a bright future and no one can guarantee this won't impact her professionally, academically or socially," mom Dorota Mani said, speaking of her 14-year-old daughter Francesca who was identified in one of the pictures.
The mom said she doesn't want her daughter in school with the person responsible for the photos. Other parents said they've since filed police reports after learning their daughters were in the pictures. Although some of the girls hadn't seen the pictures themselves.
It's unclear what software was used to make the images, nor how many students were responsible for circulating the images. But Westfield High School principal Principal Mary Asfendis said she believes the images have been deleted and are no longer being passed around.
Even Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle weighed in on the incident.
"To be in a situation where you see young girls traumatized at a vulnerable stage of their lives is hard to witness," she explained, before adding that as the first female mayor she sees herself as an advocate for girls and women
So far it's unclear if disciplinary action has been taken, if any.