Despite attempts in Australia to restrict access to nudify and undress apps, reports of deepfake image-based abuse in schools continue to rise.
As we’ve seen with social media age restrictions, some young people are still finding ways around these controls. These programs allow someone to take a fully clothed image of another person and, in a few clicks, turn it into a realistic nude image without their consent. The original image might come from a school newsletter, website or social media account, and both staff and students can be targeted. The image can be created and spread without the person’s knowledge or consent, making this a form of image-based abuse.
For schools and young people, there’s an additional layer. When a person under 18 is shown in sexualised imagery, the content can raise serious legal issues, including laws relating to child sexual abuse material. Federal, state and territory laws in Australia may apply to the creation, possession and sharing of this type of content.
Key summary
- AI deepfakes in schools are an emerging online safety challenge as image manipulation tools become more accessible.
- Deepfake image-based abuse can involve creating sexualised or intimate images of someone without their consent.
- Fake images can cause real harm, including embarrassment, anxiety and loss of control.
- Consent, respect, empathy, peer dynamics and decision-making can influence how young people use these technologies.
- Schools need prevention and response strategies so staff understand the risks and know how to respond.
What is AI deepfake image-based abuse?
Deepfakes are digitally manipulated or AI-generated media that can convincingly depict something that didn’t actually happen. The technology can be used for creative, educational and positive purposes, as well as for scams, misinformation, impersonation, harassment and abuse.
One of its most common and concerning applications is non-consensual sexualised imagery.
Deepfake image-based abuse occurs when technology is used to generate or manipulate an image of someone so they appear naked, sexualised or involved in an intimate situation without their consent. It sits within the broader landscape of image-based abuse, where intimate imagery is created, shared or threatened to be shared without permission.
While nudify and undress apps fuel this harm, technology is only one part of the issue. These tools make harmful behaviour easier to carry out. The reasons a young person chooses to target someone else are often connected to consent, respect, empathy, peer dynamics and decision-making.
Why AI deepfakes are becoming a problem in schools
At Cyber Safety Project, we talk about AI deepfake image-based abuse in schools as a recipe for disaster. Several ingredients are coming together at the same time, and the combination makes this issue particularly challenging for schools.
1. Easy access to powerful AI technology
Creating convincing manipulated images once required specialist skills, but AI has dramatically lowered that barrier. Young people can now access tools that generate sexualised content quickly and cheaply, often without any technical expertise.
When something can be generated in only a few clicks, the distance between an impulsive idea and acting on it becomes incredibly small.
2. A highly connected generation
Once an image has been created, it can potentially be copied, screenshotted and shared with a large audience in seconds.
Online communication moves quickly, which can leave little time for a young person to consider the consequences before an image spreads. The person targeted may have no idea who has received it, saved it or shared it further.
3. Developing adolescent brains
Adolescence is a period where peer acceptance, social status and belonging can carry enormous weight. Young people are also naturally curious about bodies, relationships and sexuality.
Young people are still developing their ability to assess risk, regulate impulses and consider long-term consequences. Technology can make harmful behaviour feel quick or removed from reality, making it easier to act without considering the impact on the person in the image.
4. Confusion about the law
The legal landscape around AI-generated sexual imagery can feel complicated. Young people may assume that something generated by AI won’t be treated as seriously as a genuine photograph.
When a person under 18 is shown in sexualised imagery, creating, possessing or distributing the content can raise serious legal issues, including laws relating to child sexual abuse material. Young people need to understand that digitally generated or manipulated images can still have serious consequences.
5. The misconception that ‘it isn’t real’
Perhaps one of the most dangerous misconceptions is that a digitally created image cannot cause real harm because the situation shown never actually happened.
Behind every deepfake is a real person who has to deal with the consequences of an image being created or shared without their consent. They may not know who created it, who has seen it, who has saved it or where it might appear next. Young people who experience this harm may also fear they won’t be believed.
Fake image, real harm
For a student who has been targeted, the impact can be profound. They may not know who created or saw their image, which can cause distrust and make it harder to form and maintain relationships.
Victim-survivors can experience shame and embarrassment, and they may avoid school or other activities. This can affect their education and connection with others.
These images can also spread through group chats and encrypted apps, leaving students worried that an image might resurface. This can lead to hypervigilance, where they feel the need to constantly check where the image might appear and try to manage its spread.
Students may also fear they won’t be believed or that their feelings will be minimised because the image ‘isn’t real’. They may even worry that friends and family will believe the image is genuine.
The way adults respond matters. Schools need to recognise the seriousness of the experience while avoiding actions that increase the student’s shame, draw unnecessary attention to the incident or contribute to further circulation.
AI deepfakes are about technology and behaviour
Understanding how the technology works is important, and so is understanding why a young person might use that technology against someone else.
While the tools continue to evolve, the underlying issues are familiar: consent, respect, empathy, peer pressure, relationships, boundaries and decision-making. The same expectations around consent and respect apply when young people use AI, social media, group chats and other digital technologies.
Prevention can’t rely solely on blocking websites, banning particular tools or warning students about the latest AI platform. Tools and platforms will continue to evolve, which makes the values young people bring to their digital decisions even more important.
What AI deepfakes mean for Australian schools
AI deepfake image-based abuse is already affecting Australian schools. Reports of digitally altered or AI-generated sexualised images involving school-aged young people highlight the need for educators to understand this emerging form of harm.
For many schools, this is still relatively new territory. Staff may not have received training on deepfakes, how these images are created or how to respond when a student discloses that they have been targeted. Parents and carers can face the same knowledge gap.
Effective prevention and response require educators to understand the technology that enables the harm, along with the attitudes and behaviours that drive it.
Preparing your school for deepfake image-based abuse
Prevention should always be the goal, but schools also need to be prepared for the moment something happens. Consider:
- What would we do if a student reported an AI-generated sexualised image today?
- Do our staff understand deepfake image-based abuse and know how to respond to a disclosure?
- How would we support a student who has been targeted while minimising further harm?
- Do our policies and procedures address AI-generated content?
- Are we giving students the skills to navigate AI, consent and digital relationships safely?
- Do parents and carers understand this emerging harm and know where to seek help?
These questions can help schools identify where further education, planning or support may be needed.
Building confidence to respond to AI deepfakes in schools
Educators need a practical understanding of AI deepfakes, the risks they can create and the steps to take when something happens. The goal is confidence and preparedness, rather than technical expertise in every new platform.
Schools can continue building respectful relationships, empathy, consent, critical thinking and help-seeking skills, while teaching students to use digital technology responsibly. As the technology changes, these foundations become increasingly important.
AI Deepfakes & Synthetic Media training for educators
That’s why we’ve created our AI Deepfakes & Synthetic Media course for educators, designed to give educators the practical knowledge they need to understand deepfakes, synthetic media and emerging AI-related harms.
This 60-minute course helps educators translate that knowledge into meaningful education, prevention and response within their school community. When a student approaches an educator for help, that isn’t the moment we want them trying to work out what a deepfake is or where to begin.
Join the waitlist for our AI Deepfakes & Synthetic Media staff course and be the first to know when enrolments open.
Frequently asked questions
What is AI deepfake image-based abuse?
AI deepfake image-based abuse occurs when AI or other digital technology is used to create or manipulate intimate or sexualised imagery of another person without their consent. The resulting image may be entirely synthetic or based on a genuine photograph.
Why are AI deepfakes a concern for schools?
Powerful technology is increasingly accessible, young people are highly connected and content can spread rapidly between peer groups. Combined with developing decision-making skills, peer pressure and confusion about consent or the law, the potential for harm increases.
Can a fake AI-generated image still cause harm?
Yes. A student shown in a sexualised deepfake may experience embarrassment, anxiety, social consequences and a significant loss of control over their identity and reputation. These impacts can occur even when their peers know the image was generated using AI.
Are AI-generated sexualised images illegal in Australia?
The legal position depends on the circumstances, including the nature of the content, who is shown and how the image is created, possessed or distributed. Sexualised imagery involving children can raise serious legal issues, including laws relating to child sexual abuse material. Schools should seek appropriate professional advice for specific incidents.
What should a school do if a student reports a sexualised deepfake?
The immediate focus should be on supporting the young person, protecting their wellbeing and limiting further circulation. Schools should also follow their safeguarding and incident response processes. Depending on the circumstances, specialist advice or reporting to relevant authorities may be required.
How can schools help prevent AI deepfake abuse?
Effective prevention combines an understanding of AI with education about consent, respectful relationships, empathy and responsible technology use. Young people also need to understand the real-world consequences of their digital decisions.
Conclusion
AI deepfakes introduce a new dimension to challenges schools already navigate around consent, respectful relationships, peer behaviour and digital decision-making. When we combine easy access to powerful technology, instant connectivity, developing adolescent decision-making, confusion about the law and the misconception that fake content can’t cause real harm, we have what we call a recipe for disaster.
Schools can help young people develop the knowledge, skills and values they need to make safer decisions. Educators also need to understand emerging harms and feel confident responding when a young person asks for help. As AI continues to evolve, building that understanding across the school community will help young people navigate these technologies safely.
This guide is written by Cyber Safety Project, a cyber safety education provider specialising in online safety education for school communities.
