AI-generated nude photos of students circulate at middle school in Beverly Hills

Students share AI-generated nude photos of classmates

Students and parents are expressing their concerns after students at a middle school in Beverly Hills created and shared AI-generated nude photos of some classmates.

LOS ANGELES - An investigation is underway at a middle school in Beverly Hills involving students accused of creating and sharing AI-generated nude photos of classmates.

The incident happened last week at Beverly Vista Middle School.

In an email sent home to parents from Beverly Hills Unified School District, school and district officials said, "On Wednesday, the BVMS Administration received reports from students about the creation and dissemination by other students of Artificial Intelligence generated (AI) images that superimposed the faces of our students onto AI-generated nude bodies. As the investigation is progressing today, more victims are being identified. We are taking every measure to support those affected and to prevent any further incidents."

According to one 8th grade student, when teachers became aware of the AI-generated photos, they started contacting and interviewing victims.

"Girls [were] being called out one by one," said Evelyn Kruger, a student. "There’s always that fear, am I going to be next? Am I going to be called in? Sure, it might be animated, it might look unrealistic, but a couple of them look real."

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"While the law is still catching up with the rapid advancement of technology and such acts may not yet be classified as a crime, we are working closely with the Beverly Hills Police Department throughout this investigation," said school and district officials in an email to parents. "We assure you that if any criminal offenses are discovered, they will be addressed to the fullest extent possible."

This incident highlights what has become an issue nationwide.

"On the kids' side of things, it’s happening every single day, dozens of times a day," said Pete Nicoletti, a cybersecurity expert with Check Point. "We’re seeing news reports of it everywhere."

Nicoletti recommends minimizing your public photos and digital footprint on social media. In addition, he recommends speaking with children so they can understand the seriousness associated with creating inappropriate photos using AI.

"It’s never a good idea to over post publicly at all," said Nicoletti. "Parents need to control what’s downloaded on their kids’ phones. They’re going to have to do time limits. They’re going to have to do application download approvals. And, they’re going to have to talk about what the consequences are if kids do this stuff."

School and district officials said in their email to parents, "Collectively, we are nothing short of outraged by this behavior and we are prepared to implement the most severe disciplinary actions allowable under California Education Code. Any student found to be creating, disseminating, or in possession of AI-generated images of this nature will face disciplinary actions, including, but not limited to, a recommendation for expulsion."

FOX 11 reached out to Beverly Hills Police Saturday afternoon regarding the case, but so far haven’t heard back. At this time, it’s unclear how many students are accused of creating the nude images and how many victims there are.

"It’s a scary situation," said Jackie Kruger, Evelyn’s mother. "Congress needs to act to create safeguards to protect all of our children."