Athletic director accused of AI voice hoax to frame principal

Dazhon Darien, the former athletic director at Pikesville High School, has been charged with disrupting school activities for allegedly using artificial intelligence to create a fake audio clip of Principal Eric Eiswert making racist and antisemitic comments. The audio, which circulated on social media, led many in the community to believe Eiswert had made the disparaging remarks about Black students and the Jewish community. Following the incident, Eiswert was subjected to increased security measures, including being removed from the school and requiring a security detail at his home.

Baltimore County Police conducted an investigation that linked Darien to the creation and distribution of the audio. They found that he had accessed OpenAI tools and Microsoft Bing Chat services before the release of the clip. Darien reportedly denied involvement in both the creation and dissemination of the recording during an interview with detectives. The University at Buffalo's Siwei Lyu, an expert in AI, suggested that the falsified clip was likely created using a voice synthesis service like ElevenLabs.

The case has brought to light the potential misuse of AI technology to fabricate convincing audio or video content, often referred to as deepfakes. The incident has raised concerns about the impact of such technology on individuals and communities, as well as the challenge it presents to public trust and safety. Principal Eiswert, through the support of his union, has denied making any of the offensive remarks attributed to him in the audio, asserting that they do not align with his views.