From the Principal

Earlier this week I came across an article published by the ABC titled How deepfakes, nudes and teen misogyny have changed growing up.

It gives an alarming account of the frequency of gendered misconduct, and in particular the creation and use of deep fakes.

A deepfake is created when a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else’s likeness using Artificial Intelligence (AI). These manipulated images or videos can be incredibly convincing and can be used maliciously to harass, embarrass, or blackmail individuals, particularly women and girls.

While there is no doubt that AI has many advantages, its misuse can have significant consequences for the well-being of our girls and female teachers.

According to the article,

• Gendered misconduct is increasing in high schools, with female teachers fearing the rise of ‘deepfakes’ and parents often protecting misbehaving boys.
• The integration of internet and smartphones into young people’s lives has exacerbated real-life gendered misconduct into the digital realm.
• Male students have used the technology to bully, harass, and abuse both peers and teachers. Females are most often the target of this behaviour.
• Gendered misconduct is significantly under-reported.
• Deepfakes pose a new threat, and there is a need to hold creators and sharers of non-consensual material accountable, moving away from victim-blaming narratives.

So, how do we protect our children and our staff?

The most important step we can take it to educate our community.

At the start of this term, all MLC School staff attended a presentation by Leon Furze who is committed to helping educators understand the practical and ethical implications of Generative AI. This workshop provided us all with a sound understanding of the opportunities and the risks associated with the use of AI in schools. However, to ensure that we continue to grow in our understanding, we also have a staff AI Taskforce led by our Director of eLearning, Marianna Carlino, and Head of Information Technology, Steve Swarts. This group is responsible for researching and recommending plans for the ethical and effective use of AI at MLC School.

Through our classroom and pastoral programs and Academic Care in the Senior School, students are made aware of their responsibility to be ethical users of digital media from a very young age and how to report and respond should they be bullied or harassed online (or, for that matter in real life). Recently, Marianna spoke to Senior School students about deepfakes.

Should your daughter be subject to any online bullying or harassment including deepfakes, it is essential that she feels confident to report it to you or another trusted adult. It is important that she knows that she will be taken seriously and not in any way made to feel that it is ‘her fault’ even if she has been unwise in the images that she has shared.

Inappropriate use of AI by an MLC School student is addressed according to the relevant policies which include Student Use of Electronic Facilities, Social Media, Anti-bullying, and the Code of Conduct. (Policies can also be found in Omnia by clicking here). Should you have evidence that your daughter has been bullied or harassed through the creation of deepfakes or other digital means, please take screenshots of the offending materials and contact your child’s teacher, Luminary or Head of Year as soon as possible.

Next year, we plan to include a presentation on this topic as one of the P&F forums so that parents also have the opportunity to learn the latest information.

Protecting and educating girls about deepfakes and other inappropriate use of technology requires a multi-faceted approach involving education, preventive measures, and fostering a culture of respect. By equipping all members of our community with the knowledge and tools to navigate the digital world safely and advocating for robust protections, we can create a safer and more equitable environment for all.

– Lisa Moloney
Principal