Baltimore man sentenced for AI deepfake audio of school principal
A former athletic director at a Baltimore high school pleaded guilty to creating an AI-generated deepfake audio recording that impersonated his former principal using a racist rant, causing threats against the principal and school. He was sentenced to four months in prison for disturbing school operations and faces additional federal charges in an unrelated case.
What happened
Dazhon Darien, a former athletic director at Pikesville High School, used artificial intelligence to create an audio recording impersonating the voice of Principal Eric Eiswert in 2024, in which Eiswert allegedly delivered a racist rant.
The deepfake recording caused a scandal within the Baltimore County Public School System and led to threats of violence against Eiswert and the school.
Reported impact
The incident resulted in threats of violence against Principal Eiswert and Pikesville High School.
Eiswert's attorney stated the incident harmed thousands of students, teachers, and administrators in BCPS who rely on the school system to provide a safe learning environment.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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