HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Superintendent Chris Bentzel and his team are speaking up against an influx of false information circulating in Christian County that are frequently using generative artificial intelligence to manufacture documents, photos and events that are misleading residents.
“We are ready to take a bit more control of the narrative,” said school board member Erin Westerfield at a closed press conference on June 18. During this meeting, officials discussed the significant impact misinformation is having, and why they decided to voice their stance.
The utilization of AI they are referring to is not “meme” images that are shared around but are instead false information that is being used to reinforce a specific narrative, frequently targeting the construction project of the new Christian County High School.
“While misinformation may seem harmless or intended to generate attention, the impact can be very real, especially for students and families,” said a statement from CCPS released to the public. “False claims and misleading content can create unnecessary fear, confusion, distraction, and anxiety across the community. It can diminish trust, spread uncertainty, and take attention away from what matters most: supporting student success and creating positive learning environments.”
| EDUCATION NEWS: Read more from Christian County Schools
Fake documents and photos on social media
“As artificial intelligence technology becomes more accessible, it has become easier to create content that appears authentic but does not accurately represent reality,” said CCPS. They referenced a few specific incidents where social media posts created by anonymous individuals were interpreted as fact by the public. These posts and the districts responses were posted publicly on the CCPS Facebook page and was sent out to staff and families on June 18.
Documents claiming to be proof that CCHS construction is operating over their budget were recently shared by an anonymous Facebook account. Bentzel says the source that they claim to have found the information from is unfounded and has not been approved or released at this time. The district says the supposed reference would not even contain that type of information in the document.
A different AI generated image claimed to show damage to the gym floor at the new school. Bentzel confirmed that there was an issue during the installation of the scoreboard that resulted in minor damage to a small area, however, the circulating image falsely visualized the accident by showing damage throughout the entire gym floor. Photos provided by CCPS show the actual scope of the damage, which will not impact gameplay and will be fixed at a later date.
In another act of misinformation, an AI generated flyer was posted on social media anonymously promoting a Pride event hosted by CCPS. The fake event had a date, time and location with the format mimicking a CCHS Tigers flyer that was previously released legitimately. In an attempt to combat this, the communications department will avoid using AI to make official CCPS flyers in order to make them harder to manipulate.
Next steps, possibility of live stream for board meetings
Amid the AI and persistent speculation about the school board on social media, Bentzel remains firm that the new high school is on schedule and on budget, and CCPS is in a good place overall.
Christian County Now asked if the board would consider restoring live streams of school board meetings to further increase transparency. Bentzel stated that the live streams were initially only used during the pandemic, but he would be open to bringing them back if the entire board agrees.
As it stands, school board meetings are open to the public and residents are permitted to stay for the entirety of the meetings beyond just public comments to hear how and why decisions are made. Their agenda and minutes are also available on the CCPS website.
Moving forward, the district plans to hold a stricter stance on refuting false claims that may circulate, and they encourage the community to rely on trusted sources.
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