Teen And Mother Speak On Alleged AI-generated Nudes Circulating Amongst Peers
A high school student in New Jersey allegedly utilized artificial intelligence to make naked images of the teen girl and other girls, which were then shared with a group of peers, prompting the girl and her mother to speak out.
In October, Francesca Mani, 14, was summoned to the principal's office at Westfield High School, where she was informed that she had been targeted by a male classmate who had used artificial intelligence to generate nude photos of several female students.
"I realized I should not be sad, but I should be mad. So, I came home, and I told my mom, and I told her that we have to do something about this because it is unfair to girls, and it's just not right," Francesca, a sophomore, told "Good Morning America."
Dorota Mani, Francesca's mother, told "GMA" she was stunned when she first learned about the incident but quickly went into action.
"My initial feeling, obviously, was shock to hear such a thing from your daughter," said Mani.
Mani claimed that she reported the incident to the police and spoke with a school administrator, who told her that the images had been shared on Snapchat.
"[The official] also mentioned that I should not worry because Snapchat only lasts for three to five seconds, which we all know you can save it, you can screenshot it, somebody else can take a picture of that picture," added Mani.
According to Mani, the school only recently found out that several lads from Westfield had allegedly been sharing fake AI-generated photographs with one another over the summer.
Westfield High School Principal Mary Asfendis sent a letter to parents recently, writing in part, "Students brought to our attention that some of our students had used Artificial Intelligence to create pornographic images from original photos … At this time, we believe that any created images have been deleted and are not being circulated. This is a very serious incident. We are continuing to investigate."
Dorota and Francesca Mani claim that only one male classmate was suspended for a short period of time and that he has subsequently returned to class.
Francesca expressed, "I just feel very uncomfortable and very scared." "A lot of other girls agree with me. We just don't think it's right that he's walking the hallways."
The Manis claim they are unaware of any other alleged victims who have seen the phoney AI-generated photographs. ABC News has been unable to verify the existence of these pictures.
According to legal experts, New Jersey has stringent rules against any sexually explicit depictions of minors, whether real or not.
Mary Anne Franks, a law professor at George Washington University, told "GMA" that the fact that the culprits are children "might mean that there is leniency here or certain types of attempts to keep them out of the incarceration system," but that wouldn't mean that they couldn't be penalised at all.
Mani noted that this occurrence serves as a reminder to keep in touch with young people.
"This is a moment where we should be teaching our girls and Westfield High School that they're worth it to fight for. What has happened [is] not OK, and we should be teaching our boys that there will be consequences," Mani said.
Westfield High School is also recommending that parents have conversations with their children regarding the content they find on their children's social media accounts.