AP report: Rise of deepfake cyberbullying poses a growing problem for schools
PBS••nation
Key Points:
- Schools are increasingly confronting the issue of students using AI to create sexually explicit deepfake images of classmates, causing severe emotional trauma and disciplinary challenges.
- Several states, including Louisiana, have enacted laws targeting AI-generated deepfakes, with prosecutions underway; by 2025, over half of U.S. states had legislation addressing generative AI misuse, especially related to child sexual abuse material.
- Advances in AI technology have made deepfake creation accessible without technical skills, leading to a dramatic rise in reported AI-generated child sexual abuse images, from 4,700 in 2023 to 440,000 in the first half of 2025.
- Experts warn that many schools and parents are not adequately addressing the problem, urging updated policies,
