Multiple reports indicate that children in Scottish schools have used artificial intelligence to create sexual and violent images of their teachers to share on social media. Some staff have been signed off work sick since the footage was shared around schools, with some clips including likenesses of teachers added to footage from porn films. This abuse extends beyond images, with fake social media accounts using the names of teachers being set up.
A recent trend on TikTok sees recordings of teachers manipulated by AI-generated video to show them shouting abuse at pupils, with deep-fake clips designed to damage staff professionally and personally. Teachers are facing increased physical violence at a shocking level. Artificial intelligence threatens to turbocharge rising racism and misogyny in Scotland’s schools, with teachers dealing with an upswing in racist, misogynistic, and anti-immigrant rhetoric fuelled by social media, leading to incidents of harassment, threats, and violence.
The problem has been reported nationally, though details first emerged in the Renfrewshire area. Renfrewshire Council has robust policies in place regarding violence and aggression, as well as acceptable use of ICT and mobile phone use in schools.