Scottish students accused of using AI to create and share abusive deepfake images of teachers

Scottish teachers are reporting a surge of AI-generated “deepfake” images and videos—some sexual and violent—created by pupils and circulated on social media, prompting sick leave and police consultations. The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association said incidents often begin as pranks before escalating into serious abuse, with fake accounts and doctored pornographic clips using teachers’ likenesses. Local authorities say they have policies to protect staff, but unions argue classroom phone bans won’t solve a problem largely occurring off-campus and enabled by readily available AI tools. Regulators cite the UK’s Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to assess and mitigate illegal content risks and swiftly remove such material, while similar cases in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man underscore a growing nationwide problem. The flare-up intensifies pressure on tech firms to strengthen safeguards and on schools to refine digital safety policies.

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