Artificial intelligence is slowly becoming more involved in everyday life, whether we are aware of it or not. It’s also disrupting everyday life in ways that would have been unimaginable not so very long ago.
That’s what apparently happened at a Baltimore County school, where police say the athletic director framed the principal by using AI to create a racist conversation that never happened.
Pikesville High School was shaken when an audio clip began to circulate of what sounded like Principal Eric Eiswert speaking to a woman named Kathy, presumably Vice Principal Kathy Albert.
In the clip, Eiswert complains about having to “put up” with “ungrateful black kids who can’t test their way out of a paper bag,” according to The Baltimore Sun.
The outraged local community quickly condemned the principal for the damning comments.
Eiswert was removed from his position and required police presence at his home as he dealt with immense threats online.
However, it now appears the conversation never happened.
Fake hate is something we’ve seen plenty of times before, but in a pre-AI world, it was easier to expose.
WBAL-TV reported that detectives consulted the FBI and other experts who confirmed the recording was faked using AI technology.
Should hate crime charges be pursued against the suspect?
Investigators spent two months gathering internet and phone records to link the recording to Darien, according to the Sun.
Think about the amount of work that went into uncovering the trail leading the clip back to Darien. Now consider having to do that at scale after hundreds of thousands — and eventually millions — of people become competent AI users.
Then couple that with the hair-trigger responsiveness of social media and the rage machine the left has built by gaslighting decent people into thinking racism is everywhere in America (it’s not).
That combination will be more than deadly, but by the time we realize that as a society, the falsely accused may already be suiciding themselves.
Big Tech will deserve a generous helping of blame for the AI part of those deaths. But there won’t be enough water in the world to wash the blood from the hands of the race-baiting left. They’re already responsible for more than enough racial violence. Imagine the damage they’ll soon be able to do.
Thankfully this time, though, truth and justice appear to be winning.
Police arrested Dazhon Darien, the school’s 31-year-old athletic director, Thursday morning and charged him with creating the false audio.
Officers nabbed him as he tried to catch a flight for Houston, but got flagged for a poorly packed firearm.
WARNING: The following recording contains language that some may find offensive.
A.I. USED TO FRAME WHITE PRINCIPAL:
Pikesville High principal Eric Eiswert was CAUGHT on tape having a racist rant.
People called for him to lose his job.
The only problem?
The whole recording was AI-generated.
Dazhon Darien, former athletic director (Pikesville) was… pic.twitter.com/E6bSbH7TQq
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 25, 2024
The case presents a unique challenge to Baltimore County as the state’s attorney, Scott Shellenberger, noted this is the first time they’ve dealt with a case of AI-generated slander.
“In this particular case, we obviously had some statutes that were right on point, but we do in fact need to take a look at some others,” Shellenberger said Thursday during a news conference.
“[We] also need to take a broader look at how this technology can be used and abused to harm other people.”
Authorities suspect Darien made the false audio to retaliate against Eiswert for investigating him over misuse of school funds and theft, the Sun reported.
The new development undoubtedly shakes up the perceived events, likely exonerating Eiswert.
AI undoubtedly has great potential to help, but it has equal potential to hurt.
As the technology is further developed, it will become harder to know what is real and what isn’t.
Individuals more disconnected from technology, such as the elderly, will be especially susceptible to misinformation created by AI.
Things are changing quickly, and hopefully we can stay on top of it.
