From Cheapfakes to Deepfakes: A Wake-Up Call for Education and Technology 🚨
The New York Times recently published an article concerning Pennsylvania students impersonating teachers on TikTok misleading students and parents alike. In the days that followed, some 20 educators — about one-quarter of a school’s faculty — discovered they were victims of fake teacher accounts rife with pedophilia innuendo, racist memes, homophobia, and fabricated sexual hookups among teachers. Hundreds of students soon viewed, followed, or commented on these fraudulent accounts.
The low-tech “cheapfake” images differ from recent incidents in schools where students used artificial intelligence apps to generate real-looking, digitally altered images known as “deepfakes.”
As an AI and education advocate, here's my take on this issue and how we can leverage technology to address it:
The Problem:
1. Young kids and adolescents have unmoderated access to social media platforms like TikTok and are creating harmful content that misleads students and undermines their trust in real educators. This not only jeopardizes the quality of education but also tarnishes the reputation of genuine teaching professionals.
2. We don’t have regulations or provide education on the implications of the use, and often misuse, of social media on the brains of young people. Teens don’t have the prefrontal cortex development to responsibly use social media.
Our solution:
1. Promoting Social Media Literacy 📚
Social media has been shown to stunt the growth of empathy for many. Behind a screen, people can type or say just about anything without consequence. We also know that COVID-19 stunted social-emotional growth in young children, as we observe increased behavioral issues in the classroom. Right now, more than ever, we should promote social media literacy and begin teaching it in middle school. AI can play a role in developing interactive modules that teach users how to discern credible sources from misleading ones, how to tell if something is human-made or AI, and the ethical and responsible use of social media and AI.
2. Personalized Alerts and Recommendations 🚨
AI can analyze individual usage patterns and provide personalized alerts to teens and their parents or guardians. For instance, if a teenager is spending an excessive amount of time on social media or engaging with potentially harmful content, the AI system can send notifications with recommendations for healthier online habits.
By addressing these challenges head-on, we can ensure that the integration of technology in education remains a positive force. It's crucial that we protect the integrity of education and uphold the trust placed in genuine educators.
What are your thoughts on this?
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