In a twisted tale that seems straight out of a cyber-thriller, a high school athletic director has been accused of using artificial intelligence to create a fake audio clip in which his principal appeared to make racist and antisemitic remarks. The incident, which unfolded in the Baltimore suburb of Pikesville, Maryland, has highlighted the disturbing potential for AI technology to be weaponized in personal vendettas, with far-reaching implications for the victims.
The controversy began when an audio recording surfaced on social media, allegedly featuring Eric Eiswert, the principal of Pikesville High School, making derogatory statements about African American and Jewish members of the school community. As stated by the County Executive Johnny Olszewski, “Hate, discrimination, and prejudice have no place in our community — especially in our schools,” and the community was understandably shaken by the apparent hate speech. However, the principal maintained his innocence from the start, claiming the audio was fabricated using advanced AI tools.
Dazhon Darien, the school’s athletic director, has been identified as the mastermind behind this hoax. According to the police chief, “Through their investigation, detectives allege that Mr. Darien, who was athletic director at the high school, made the recording to retaliate against the principal, who had launched an investigation into the potential mishandling of school funds.”
Investigators connected Darien to the audio by tracing an email account, under the alias TJ Foust, that he allegedly used to disseminate the recording. Not only did Darien admit to “having issues” with Eiswert, but he was also arrested at the airport with a warrant for his arrest on various charges including theft, stalking, and retaliation against a witness.
“I continue to be concerned about the damage these actions have caused for Principal Eiswert, his family, the students and staff of Pikesville High School, and the Black and Jewish community members,” Council of Administrative and Supervisory Employee executive director Billy Burke said in a statement. “I hope there is deliberate action to heal the trauma caused by the fake audio and that all people can feel restored.”
Relevant articles:
– Disgruntled ex-athletic director allegedly created AI racist rant to retaliate against Pikesville HS principal, wmar2news.com, 04/26/2024
– Teacher arrested, accused of using AI to falsely paint boss as racist and antisemitic, NBC News, Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:55:00 GMT
– Baltimore high school athletic director used AI to create fake racist audio of principal: Police, ABC News, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 22:37:15 GMT
– High School AD Framed Principal With Fake AI-Generated Racist Audio: Cops, The Daily Beast, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 23:23:49 GMT
– School principal was framed using AI-generated racist rant, police say. A co-worker is now charged., CBS News, Fri, 26 Apr 2024 12:10:24 GMT
Too much emphasis is placed on racism, which is so often faked by black people. Their racism is far more present within their demographic than in the white demographic. It’s time this issue is addressed in the open.