- A high school track and field coach was arrested after a deepfake of the high school principal was shared online.
- The deepfake recording imitated Eric Eiswart making racist and anti-Semitic remarks.
- Local authorities are calling for legal changes to prevent misuse of AI technology.
Maryland high school athletics director Dazon Darien has been arrested and charged. Stalking and theft after AI A deepfake audio recording of a school principal containing racist remarks has been shared online.
The recording, posted on social media in January, was widely circulated, leading people to believe it was Eric Eiswart's voice, according to local police reports.
Eiswart is the principal of Pikesville High School in suburban Baltimore.
According to the New York Times, the deepfake audio contained abusive language directed at black students, which led to Eiswart receiving threats.
“It is believed that Mr. Darien, who was the athletic director at Pikesville High School, made the recording in retaliation against Mr. Eiswart, who was conducting an investigation into possible student fraud at the time,” police said in a statement shared online. did. .
Darien is charged with stalking, theft, interfering with school operations and retaliating against a witness.
he was released on bail $5,000 after Thursday's court appearance.
Concerns about AI deepfakes are growing
After forensic analysis, police determined that the recording was made using AI.
“Based on an extensive investigation, detectives have conclusive evidence that the recordings are not genuine. As part of the investigation, detectives requested forensic analysts contracted with the FBI to analyze the recordings,” police said in a statement. Stated.
Authorities said at a press conference that the incident is believed to be the first of its kind in the country. And they are calling for changes to the law to keep them up to date with new technology.
“We are reviewing legislation at both the state and federal level to ensure that this new technology and emerging technologies cannot be used in ways that harm individuals and communities,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. I think we need to do that.”
Advances in AI are opening up new ways for businesses and individuals to be exposed to malicious actors, making deepfakes even more prevalent.
There are concerns about the potential for these deepfakes to be manipulated in the workplace. A Hong Kong company was defrauded of $25 million after fraudsters targeted employees using deepfakes of senior colleagues. The FBI also warned that more people are using the technology to pretend to be someone else during job interviews.
There are also concerns that AI deepfakes could threaten free and fair elections by making it easier for people to spread misinformation.
Earlier this year, some voters in New Hampshire received a deepfake phone call that appeared to be from Joe Biden instructing them not to vote in the presidential primary. The White House wants to “crypto-verify” Joe Biden's video so viewers don't mistake the real video for a deepfake.
