Schools faced with deepfakes are now offered assistance through an infographic and readiness checklist published by FPF.
Deepfakes, synthetic media created using deep learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI), are becoming increasingly prevalent in K-12 schools, posing real risks to the safety and trust of the learning environment. These risks include bullying, harassment, misinformation, personal safety and privacy concerns, and broken trust.
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) has released an infographic and readiness checklist to help schools understand and prepare for the risks posed by deepfakes. The infographic maps out a school's response to an example deepfake scenario, inviting school leaders to consider their internal investigative processes, privacy protection measures, and policies relevant to deepfakes.
Deepfakes can take various forms, such as video, text, image, and audio. Each type presents unique risks and considerations. For instance, text deepfakes can pose risks like sharing forged, non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). Video deepfakes can create risks such as fabricated phone calls and voice messages impersonating teachers.
To prepare for and mitigate potential deepfake incidents, K-12 schools can implement several strategies. These include education and awareness, the development of comprehensive policies, collaboration and support, and technological measures.
Education and awareness involve integrating digital literacy and ethics into the curriculum, offering regular workshops and training sessions for both students and staff, and engaging with parents and the broader community to raise awareness.
Schools should also establish clear policies and guidelines on how to handle deepfake incidents, including procedures for reporting, investigation, and support for affected students. Having a well-defined incident response plan in place is crucial to quickly address deepfake-related incidents and minimize their impact.
Collaboration and support strategies include providing access to counseling and support services for students affected by deepfakes, ensuring secure and monitored communication channels within the school, and engaging with legal counsel and law enforcement when necessary.
Technological measures may involve using AI-powered tools to monitor and detect deepfakes, although these tools are still evolving and may require ongoing updates to stay effective.
Jim Siegl, Senior Technologist with FPF's Youth & Education Privacy team, stated that deepfakes create complicated ethical and security challenges for K-12 schools that will only grow as the technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated. FPF's Youth & Education Privacy team is involved in the development of these resources.
The FPF infographic also encourages school leaders to consider how to reduce the distribution of deepfakes, ensure privacy for all students involved in the investigation, and provide support to the targeted individual. The checklist outlines a series of considerations for school leaders, including education and training, use of internal investigative tools, privacy concerns, and engagement with legal counsel and law enforcement.
The FPF infographic serves as a valuable resource for school leaders and policymakers navigating the rapid deployment of AI and related technologies in schools. The deepfakes infographic and readiness checklist for schools can be downloaded from the FPF website. By focusing on education, policy development, community engagement, and technological enhancements, K-12 schools can better prepare themselves for the challenges posed by deepfakes.
- The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) has released an infographic and readiness checklist to help schools understand and prepare for the risks posed by deepfakes in the learning environment.
- Deepfakes, created using deep learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI), can take various forms like video, text, image, and audio, each presenting unique risks and considerations.
- To prepare for and mitigate potential deepfake incidents, K-12 schools can implement strategies such as education and awareness, development of comprehensive policies, collaboration and support, and technological measures.
- Education and awareness involve integrating digital literacy and ethics into the curriculum, offering regular workshops and training sessions, and engaging with parents and the broader community.
- Schools should also establish clear policies and guidelines on how to handle deepfake incidents, including procedures for reporting, investigation, and support for affected students.
- Collaboration and support strategies include providing access to counseling and support services for students, ensuring secure communication channels, and engaging with legal counsel and law enforcement when necessary.
- technological measures may involve using AI-powered tools to monitor and detect deepfakes, but these tools are still evolving and may require ongoing updates to stay effective.
