‘Everybody is vulnerable’: Fake US school audio stokes AI alarm

Signage is shown outside on the grounds of Pikesville High School, in Baltimore County, Md. The most recent criminal case involving artificial intelligence emerged in late April 2024, from the Maryland high school, where police say a principal was framed as racist by a fake recording of his voice. — The Baltimore Sun via AP

WASHINGTON: A fabricated audio clip of a US high school principal prompted a torrent of outrage, leaving him battling allegations of racism and anti-Semitism in a case that has sparked new alarm about AI manipulation.

Police charged a disgruntled staff member at the Maryland school with manufacturing the recording that surfaced in January – purportedly of principal Eric Eiswert ranting against Jews and “ungrateful Black kids” – using artificial intelligence.