Digital deception: Understanding deepfakes

Learning objectives

 Programme of Study

DfE statutory guidance

Upper key stage 2

Lesson 1: The impact of generative AI

To learn about why and how AI-generated images and videos are used online.

To learn about the impact of AI-generated images and videos.

Lesson 2: The ethics of AI images

To learn about the ethics of creating and sharing AI-generated images or videos.

Respecting self and others

• how to respond to situations where they experience disappointment or frustration with others (RKR3) 

Online life and safety: Understanding the internet

• about rights and responsibilities online; to recognise their rights online, in relation to sharing personal data, privacy and consent (WO4, WO10)

• how text and images in the media and online can be manipulated or fabricated; strategies to critically engage with what they see, read or hear online and identify misinformation and disinformation (WO7, WO9)

• what AI is (including generative AI) and where it might be encountered in everyday life (WO1)

• where and how to get help if they feel worried, concerned, upset, embarrassed or frightened about something they have seen or engaged with online (OSA6)

Online life and safety: Safe and respectful behaviour online

• that the same principles about how to treat others apply in all contexts, including online (OSA1)

• how someone’s online behaviour can affect other people; the importance of, and how to maintain, positive, kind and respectful communication online, including when anonymous (WO4)

• strategies for managing peer influence on their online behaviour; the importance of not pressuring others, and how to resist pressure from others, to share personal information or images online (OSA1, WO4)

Respectful, kind relationships

• (3) how to communicate effectively and manage conflict with kindness and respect; how to be assertive and express needs and boundaries; how to manage feelings, including disappointment and frustration

Online safety and awareness

• (1) that people should be respectful in online interactions, and that the same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to-face relationships, including where people are anonymous […]

• (5) online risks, including that any material provided online might be circulated, and that once a picture or words has been circulated there is no way of deleting it everywhere and no control over where it ends up

• (6) that the internet contains a lot of content that can be inappropriate and upsetting for children, and where to go for advice and support when they feel worried or concerned about something they have seen or engaged with online

Wellbeing online

• (3) […] the impact of positive and negative content online on their own and others’ mental and physical wellbeing

• (4) how to consider the impact of their online behaviour on others, and how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online

• (5) why social media, some apps, computer games and online gaming, including gambling sites, are age restricted

• (7) how to take a critical approach to what they see and read online and make responsible decisions about which content, including content on social media and apps, is appropriate for them

• (10) that they have rights in relation to sharing personal data, privacy and consent

• (11) where and how to report concerns and get support with issues online

Learning objectives

Programme of Study

DfE statutory guidance

Key stage 3

Lesson 1: Motivations and consequences

To learn about the motivations for, and consequences of, creating and sharing deepfake images.

Lesson 2: Tackling deepfakes

To learn how to seek support regarding inappropriate deepfake images encountered online.

Online life

• how to approach online and social media content critically, including identifying bias, mis and disinformation, and assessing the likelihood that content is untrue, manipulated or created by AI; the importance of seeking a variety of perspectives on issues and strategies for fact checking online information (WO5, OSA3)

• the laws, protections and consequences related to nude, intimate or sexual image sharing, including AI-generated imagery; how to manage any request or pressure to share an image of themselves or others; the impact of sharing sexual images of others without consent, including legal consequences (OSA4, OSA5)

• about the motivations, consequences and potential harms of creating and sharing deepfakes (OSA7)

• when, why and how to report concerns to trusted adults and relevant platforms and organisations, such as Childline, CEOP, NSPCC’s Report/Remove tool or the police, and how this can help (OSA6)

Boundaries and consent

the skills to communicate and recognise consent, including in early romantic or sexual relationships; how to seek, give, not give and withdraw consent (in all contexts, including online) (RR8, RR10, BS1)

Online safety and awareness

• (3) the characteristics of social media, including that some social media accounts are fake, and / or may post things which aren’t real / have been created with AI
• (5) that keeping or forwarding indecent or sexual images of someone under 18 is a crime, even if the photo is of themselves or of someone who has consented, and even if the image was created by the child and/or using AI generated imagery
• (7) about the prevalence of deepfakes including videos and photos, how deepfakes can be used maliciously as well as for entertainment, the harms that can be caused by deepfakes and how to identify them
• (6) what to do and how to report when they are concerned about material that has been circulated, including personal information, images or videos, and how to manage issues online
• (10) how to identify when technology and social media is used as part of bullying, harassment, stalking, coercive and controlling behaviour, and other forms of abusive and/or illegal behaviour and how to seek support about concerns

Respectful relationships

• (8) the role of consent, including in romantic and sexual relationships. Pupils should understand that ethical behaviour goes beyond consent and involves kindness, care, attention to the needs and vulnerabilities of the other person, as well as an awareness of power dynamics. Pupils should understand that just because someone says yes to doing something, that doesn’t automatically make it ethically ok

Key stage 4

Lesson 1: What’s the harm?

To learn about deepfakes, their potential harms, and the support available to those affected.

Lesson 2: What can be done?

To learn about the wider impacts of deepfake-generating technology, the laws and protections in place, and ways to reduce harm.

Online harms

• the ethical, legal and social implications of sexual image sharing, including AI-generated sexual abuse and deepfake material; the protections and rights young people have in relation to sexual image sharing; ways to reduce harm, how to seek support and report concerns (OSA4, OSA5, OSA6, OSA7)

Boundaries and consent

• that ethical behaviour within a relationship involves equal concern for each other’s needs, consideration of power dynamics or vulnerabilities, and an awareness of the impact these can have on consent; the (RR8, RR10)

Harmful relationship behaviours

• to recognise any manipulation, persuasion, pressure or coercion in others’ (or their own) behaviour, including in sexual contexts, and how to respond (BS2)