Dear Parents and Carers,
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology mean that images shared on websites, social media platforms and other publicly accessible sources can potentially be downloaded and manipulated without consent. While we have always taken care when using student images, we have been advised that the growing availability of AI image-generation tools has significantly increased this risk. Consequently, we are updating our approach to the use of student images in public-facing communications.
In hard-copy or online school publications which are widely available, we will no longer use images in which our students can easily be identified.
To allow us to continue to give a visual flavour of school life, we may use AI-generated illustrative images featuring entirely fictional people. These images will not depict real students and are intended only to represent the type of activities, subjects and experiences available at Castell Alun.
Where news articles appear in the press, photographs showing students’ faces may still be used. Please let us know if you do not wish your child to appear in the media.
These changes reflect wider safeguarding advice and the fact that AI technology is developing very quickly. We recognise that this is a changing area, and our approach may need to evolve with it. For now, we will trial this approach, see how it works in practice, and make any further changes needed to keep safeguarding at the heart of what we do.
Thank you for your continued support as we adapt our practices in response to emerging safeguarding challenges.
Kind regards,
Castell Alun High School
