A Baltimore high school athletic director, Dazhon Darien,31, was arrested and charged Thursday with using AI to create a deepfake audio. The voice recording impersonated the principal using racist comments about students and staff.

The Baltimore County Police Department have been investigating since the recording of Principal Eiswert of Pikesville High School surfaced. It was posted on Instagram on January 17. The recording triggered a big online response and prompted an investigation from the school district.

Deepfake audio goes viral

According to Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough, Darien is accused of using artificial intelligence software to falsify a voice recording of Eiswert. The fabricated deepfake went viral after it circulated on social media and caused widespread outrage in Baltimore County.

The racist recording in the principal’s voice claimed Black students couldn’t "test their way out of a paper bag." And questioned "how hard it is to get these students to meet their grade-level expectations." 

The recording also made belittling comments about Jewish people and pointed to specific school staff claiming they "should have never been hired."

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According to Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough, Darien is accused of using artificial intelligence software to falsify a voice recording of Eiswert. The fabricated deepfake went viral after it circulated on social media and caused widespread outrage in Baltimore County.

"We now have conclusive evidence that the recording was not authentic.” Chief McCullough said in Thursday’s news conference.

The investigation

 "Based off of those findings and further investigation, it's been determined the recording was generated through the use of artificial intelligence technology."

The police consulted with forensic analysts from the FBI and the University of California, Berkeley, who determined that the recording was not authentic. "The results from that analysis indicated the recording contained traces of AI-generated content," McCullough said.

Scott Shellenberger, the Baltimore County state’s attorney, said Thursday that the case appears to be "one of the first of its kind nationwide." 

Police believe that Darien created the deepfake audio to frame Eiswert, who was pursuing an investigation into the potential mishandling of school funds.

Darien, 31, was arrested Thursday at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. He was attempting to board a flight at the time.

He faces charges of theft, stalking, disruption of school operations, and retaliation against a witness, police said. Following a court appearance on Thursday afternoon, he was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.

Many school community members believed Eiswert was responsible for the racist rant. He denied ever making the comments and has been suspended from the school since the investigation was launched.

Baltimore County Public Schools issued a statement saying the district is taking "appropriate action" against Darien’s conduct, and recommending he be terminated from his job.