A Maryland high school athletics director, Dazhon Darien, has been arrested and charged with stalking and theft after an AI deepfake audio recording of the school’s principal, which included racist remarks, was shared online.
The recording, which was posted on social media in January, was circulated widely, and people were led to believe that it was the voice of Eric Eiswert, local police reported.
Eiswert is the principal of Pikesville High School in the suburbs of Baltimore.
The deepfake audio included a tirade against black students, which led to Eiswert being inundated by threats, per The New York Times.
“It’s believed Mr. Darien, who was an Athletic Director at Pikesville High School, made the recording to retaliate against Mr. Eiswert who at the time was pursuing an investigation into the potential mishandling of school funds,” police said in a statement shared online.
Darien faces charges of stalking, theft, disruption of school operations, and retaliation against a witness.
He was released on bail of $5,000 after a court appearance Thursday.
AI deepfakes are a growing concern
Police used forensic analysis to determine that the recording was made using AI.
“Based on an extensive investigation, detectives now have conclusive evidence the recording was not authentic. As part of their investigation, detectives requested a forensic analyst contracted with the FBI to analyze the recording,” police said.
Authorities said in a news conference that the case is believed to be among the first of its kind in the country. And they are calling for changes to the law to bring it up to date with new technology.
“It will likely require us to examine laws at both the state and federal levels to ensure that this new technology, and those still yet to come, cannot be used in ways that harm individuals and our communities,” Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said.
Deepfakes are becoming more prevalent as advancements in AI open up new ways for companies and individuals to be exposed to malicious actors.
There are concerns over the new ways these deepfakes can be manipulated in the workplace. One company in Hong Kong was tricked out of $25 million after scammers targeted an employee using deepfakes of his senior colleagues. The FBI has also warned that more and more people have used the technology to pose as someone else in job interviews.
There are also fears that AI deepfakes could threaten free and fair elections as it becomes easier for people to spread misinformation.
Earlier this year, some New Hampshire voters received deepfake calls from what they thought was Joe Biden telling them not to vote in the presidential primary election. The White House wants to “cryptographically verify” videos of Joe Biden so viewers don’t mistake real videos for deepfakes.
