EDITORIAL | Transparency will be key in investigations at Stirling High School

AI technology has transformed many aspects of our day-to-day lives, from self-driving cars and smart watches monitoring our vitals, to online shopping or asking Alexa or Siri about the weather forecast. Its benefits are vast, but the advancement of technology comes with its own pitfalls. Disinformation on the internet has been fueled by fake news articles and doctored videos and images.

Anonymous users, or keyboard warriors as they are notoriously known, are able to weaponise technology to launch vicious attacks against individuals without proof or accountability. Stirling High Schoolin East London is experiencing first-hand the drawbacks of technology. One AI-generated video using a photograph of a male staffer is scripted to dance with the caption: “Dance if you can’t keep your hands off grade 8s”.

Stirling has laid a complaint with the police and called on the services of top cybercrime expert Jason Jordaan to trace the culprit, who is believed to be a pupil. If found and over the age of 14, Jordaan warns, “they can be held liable for their actions”. Simply ignoring or dismissing these claims outright risks overlooking potential issues that could affect pupils’ safety and well-being The provincial department of education says it is also working with the school to uncover the facts.