3 weeks ago
Investigation into alleged racist, antisemitic rant by Pikesville main still ongoing, territory
BALTIMORE -- A erstwhile precocious schoolhouse diversion head was arrested Thursday greeting aft allegedly utilizing artificial intelligence to impersonate nan schoolhouse main successful a signaling that included racist and antisemitic comments astir individuals astatine nan school.
Dazhon Darien was charged pinch disrupting activities astatine Pikesville High School, aft investigators wished he faked main Eric Eiswert's sound and circulated nan audio connected societal media successful January. Darien's nickname, DJ, was among nan names mentioned successful nan audio clips he allegedly faked, according to nan Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office.
Baltimore County detectives opportunity Darien created nan signaling arsenic retaliation against Eiswert, who had launched an investigation into nan imaginable mishandling of schoolhouse funds, Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough Thursday.
Eiswert's voice, which constabulary and AI experts judge was simulated, made disparaging comments toward Black students and nan surrounding Jewish community. The audio was wide circulated connected societal media.
Baltimore County Police said Darien was astatine nan airdrome trying to get connected a formation to Houston erstwhile he was arrested. He had a firearm connected him astatine nan time, according to police.
"Mr. Darien was stopped because of nan measurement his declared firearm was packaged erstwhile officers looked into his inheritance they learned he had unfastened apprehension warrant," McCullough said.
Race-based commentary
On nan audio clip, a sound that mimicked Principal Eiswert made race-based commentary, including statements that African-American students were incapable to "test their measurement retired of a insubstantial bag," according to charging documents.
There were besides comments astir Jewish individuals and 2 teachers who "should ne'er person been hired astatine nan school." Police said nan signaling depicted a phony speech betwixt Eiswert and 1 of nan school's adjunct principals.
The clip's viral circulation connected societal media had important repercussions. Eiswert was temporarily removed from nan school, and waves of hate-filled messages circulated connected societal media, while nan schoolhouse received galore telephone calls.
Recording's authenticity was questioned
After a meeting, Eiswert told constabulary he believed nan audio clip was falsified utilizing AI. According to charging documents, Eiswert told constabulary that he believed Darien was responsible. He said that Darien was "technologically savvy and believed he was acquainted pinch AI," and that location had been conversations pinch Darien astir his statement not being renewed nan pursuing semester owed to predominant activity capacity challenges.
Interviews pinch aggregate administrators astatine Pikesville High School revealed that Darien had aggregate work-related issues since he began his domiciled arsenic diversion head successful July 2023. Police said Darien had been reprimanded for terminating a long-standing coach astatine nan schoolhouse without approval.
Investigators opportunity Darien had accessed nan school's web aggregate times successful December and January, performing online searches for OpenAI devices - which constabulary linked to paid OpenAI accounts.
A forensic expert and assemblage professor contracted by nan FBI conducted an audio study of nan file. The results wished that nan signaling contained traces of AI-generated content, pinch quality editing that added inheritance noises for realism aft nan fact, according to nan charging documents. Another master astatine nan University of California, Berkley, analyzed nan audio and besides wished that it was manipulated.
Three teachers
Response from schoolhouse leadership
"As you tin imagine, this has been a very difficult clip for Pikesville High School community, main Eiswert and his family, and squad BCPS. We are incredibly proud of nan students and unit and really they person stepped up to support 1 another," Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers said. "As I said then, and it bears repeating, nan statements connected nan signaling do not bespeak nan halfway values of our system."
Rogers added that nan region is taking "appropriate action" pursuing Darien's arrest, "up to and including a proposal for termination."
Christian Olaniran
Christian Olaniran is simply a Digital Producer for CBS News Baltimore, wherever he writes stories connected divers topics including politics, arts, culture, sports and more. He besides creates engaging societal media contented to complement news coverage.
