Schoolyard bullies grow into workplace bullies. A recent bullying incident in Louisiana, where teen boys created AI deepfake nudes of several girls at school, is actually an important case for businesses to draw crucial lessons.
When the boys started disseminating deepfake nudes, the girls, and one in particular, complained and asked for help from the school.
The school, according to an Associated Press story, didn’t take the situation seriously. Because they were being shared on Snapchat, where messages disappear after a certain time, administrators went so far as to doubt the existence of the deepfake images.
“Kids lie a lot,” the principal said. “They lie about all kinds of things. They blow lots of things out of proportion on a daily basis. In 17 years, they do it all the time. So to my knowledge, at 2 o’clock when I checked again, there were no pictures.”
But what isn’t in dispute is that the female victim was distraught and the school didn’t protect her, didn’t change her bus route, and suspended her after she slapped one of the boys she believed was creating and sharing the images. Then the school expelled her and sent her to an alternative school. She got depressed, stopped doing her work, and needed treatment. Ultimately, the school board had a change of heart and allowed her to return on probation.
To keep reading, click here: Deepfake Porn Is the Next Workplace Harassment Crisis
This is horrifying, but unfortunately not surprising. It’s a stark reminder that technology like AI can amplify harassment in ways schools—and later workplaces—aren’t prepared for. The real failure here wasn’t just the creation of these deepfakes, but the lack of accountability and protection for the victim. Schools, HR teams, and organizations need to treat these incidents seriously from the start, provide clear reporting channels, and prioritize the well-being of those targeted. Prevention, education, and swift, fair action are essential before tech-enabled harassment becomes normalized.
While this incident is deeply disturbing, it is not surprising. As we have already witnessed, technology including AI will amplify the impact of harassment on school and workplace settings much more quickly than schools and workplaces are ready for. Holding responsible parties accountable for their actions, as well as having systems in place to protect victims, is a critical shortcoming of the education and employment systems we have in place today. Therefore, it is the responsibility of schools, human resources (HR) departments, and workplaces, to take immediate steps from the time incidents are reported until they are resolved, to treat the individuals affected as victims and provide them with the necessary support and resources. Additionally, schools, HR departments, and all organisations must develop training programmes for those who will be working with technology, so that the harmful effects of transactions created by technology are not accepted as the norm in a “tech-enabled world.”