EdCircuit Staff 
Perth, AU – Qoria, a global technology company dedicated to keeping children safe and well in their digital lives and the parent company of Linewize, published a new report on how generative AI is reshaping schools’ operations globally. The report, titled, “Addressing the Risks of AI-Enabled CSAM and Explicit Content in Education,” includes data and input from 600 of Qoria’s school partners across the U.S., UK, Australia and New Zealand. Respondents spanned superintendents, principals, IT leaders and others from small private schools to large districts. A guide for school leaders, the report also outlines response strategies and holistic approaches to digital safety to help address CSAM concerns and foster an improved online environment for all.
“The pace of technological change is rapid. Information on the educational potential of AI and risks such as academic dishonesty is widespread, but less is known about the impact of AI on student safety and wellbeing – especially regarding CSAM and predation,” said Yasmin London, global online safety advisor and brand director for Qoria. “As educators are faced with an ever-increasing workload, too many understandably feel overwhelmed by the need to stay one step ahead of AI trends. Our mission is to support schools globally and provide the resources they need to navigate this complex era successfully.”
The proliferation of CSAM by adult perpetrators has increased significantly in recent times, with predators intentionally interacting with AI to personalize their approaches and manipulate young people. According to Qoria’s report, 91.4% of U.S. schools surveyed are concerned about the potential for online predators to utilize AI to groom students, yet 31.4% are not familiar with any of the tools these perpetrators are using to target children.
At the same time, students’ exposure to explicit material has escalated. More children are possessing, requesting and sharing nude content online than ever before. According to Qoria’s findings, this behavior is occurring at a surprisingly young age, with 67.6% of U.S. respondents seeing it amongst students only 11-13 years old. Additionally, schools overwhelmingly reported that Snapchat is the most common platform of choice for young people when asking for or sharing nude content. 75.8% of U.S. respondents cited Snapchat as the top medium, followed by text messages at about 45%.
On top of this, there is a growing trend of young people using AI to create and share manipulated explicit content including non-consensual explicit images of their peers and even school staff. However, Qoria’s data reveals a potential gap in detection in U.S. schools, which is understandable due to educators’ increasing workloads and responsibilities. When asked what the most significant challenges in addressing issues of AI, CSAM and explicit content are, about 79% cited ‘limited staff training, knowledge and time’ and about 73% cited ‘difficulty detecting and monitoring harmful behavior.’ This raises an important question: how much AI-driven exploitative behavior is going undetected?
“While it’s certainly challenging, schools should not feel helpless when it comes to evolving technology like AI,” said Yasmin. “There is one critical focus area that will truly move the needle for schools – increasing digital visibility.”
Schools can take small yet significant steps towards increasing digital visibility, including heightened parent engagement. According to Qoria’s report, 70.6% of U.S. respondents said there is a lack of awareness amongst parents when it comes to AI, CSAM and explicit content, but about 44% of schools are not proactively engaging with and educating parents on the issues, indicating room for improvement.
Additionally, schools can review their current digital safety technology stack to ensure it’s still fit for purpose, address student concerns through inclusive frameworks, and be innovative and forward thinking when it comes to updating school policies. With the right support and guidance, schools can successfully harness the meaningful benefits of AI while mitigating concerns.
The full report and additional data from Qoria can be found here.
About Qoria
Qoria is a global technology company dedicated to keeping children safe and well in their digital lives. It harnesses the power of connection to close the gaps students fall through and seamlessly support them on all sides – at school, at home and everywhere in between. Qoria unites all parties to advance child digital wellbeing to levels never before seen.
About Linewize by Qoria
Built by a global team of education experts and former school IT administrators, Linewize by Qoria offers a web content filter, a student wellbeing and culture platform, threat detection tool, classroom management solution, and a proprietary online community program that provides resources and expert information on safety and digital wellbeing for families. These solutions harmonize to form a cohesive strategy, enabling school districts to better address the challenges of today’s connected learning environments. To learn more, please visit www.linewize.com.
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