Why We Keep Our Kids Opted Out of Online Photos
Hi everyone,
On the blog this week I took a break from writing about chatbots and policies, and wrote something a bit closer to home: an explanation about why we opt out when it comes to sharing photos of our children online.
It's a conversation that has come up several times with schools I work with recently: there's a lot of media and parent conversation happening right now about schools' responsibilities in guarding against issues like AI deepfakes. And so when we received next year's media consent form, it got me thinking about all the reasons we opt out.
AI is a big one, of course. The technology has grown faster than most people could have predicted, and since 2018 deepfake technologies have continued to proliferate. But it’s not just the more recent harms of GenAI; we’ve always opted our children out of photo sharing.
Social media companies are notoriously cavalier about privacy and have used (and continue to use) users’ images to train facial recognition and other AI models. And our children are too young to fully appreciate the implications of these technologies, so we make those choices on their behalf.
In this week’s article I explore upcoming legal changes in Australia as well as looking at examples from around the country of how schools are approaching the issue. Ultimately, it shouldn’t be down to individual parents, and nor should it solely be the responsibility of the schools to deal with these concerns.
So, what can we do about it?
Practical AI Leadership: A New Cohort for 2027
Have you become the person everyone turns to with questions about AI?
Perhaps you’ve taken on a newly created Head of AI role. Or perhaps AI has gradually become part of your work in curriculum, digital learning, IT, or leadership, without much discussion about the extra responsibility.
I speak to a lot of educators in this position. The same concerns keep coming up: a lack of clarity about the role, limited support, and very little professional learning designed for the person leading the work.
That’s why I’m launching Practical AI Leadership, a new online course and community for 2027.
Running across 20 weeks from February to July, the program is for people leading AI in schools, TAFEs/RTOs, universities, and other education organisations, whether by design or by accident.
Across six one-hour live online sessions, we’ll work through how to:
- Define your responsibilities, priorities, and what to delegate.
- Review your organisation’s current approach using a policy self-audit and community pulse survey.
- Develop practical approaches to governance, professional learning, and conversations with students and communities.
- Build a strategic AI plan for the second half of 2027 and into 2028.
Every session is recorded. Between sessions, a moderated online community will give you space to ask questions, share ideas, and discuss what’s happening in your organisation. There are no assignments: the work between sessions connects directly to your role.
You don’t have to tackle this role alone. Join individually, or bring colleagues from curriculum, IT, or leadership. Organisation packs and association or network rates are available.
Early bird places are AUD $1,620 + GST. Early bird closes 4th December 2026. The standard individual price is AUD $1,800 + GST.
Upcoming Events
Next week I’ll be speaking at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, hosting the second Leading AI in Education Symposium on Tuesday 27 October. The event will be simulcast from Melbourne to regional Academy centres across Victoria. Melbourne registrations are full, but regional spots are still available here.
On Wednesday 28 October I’ll be at ACMI, working with students on deepfakes, trust and AI. The workshop is for students only, and we’ll be producing resources on deepfakes coauthored with the students, with an ACMI webinar for teachers following soon. I’ll share the resources and webinar details when they’re available.
On Wednesday 18 November, from 4–5:30pm Melbourne time, I’ll be taking part in a public online symposium at Monash University, drawing on research by Neil Selwyn and colleagues into teacher work in the age of AI. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the future of teachers’ work and joining a panel Q&A about the promises, possibilities and pitfalls of GenAI. Keep an eye out for details coming soon.
And on Friday 27 November at 10:45am AEDT I’ll be presenting online for the University of Canberra’s Centre for Advanced Studies in Education on ‘Understanding AI as an Assistive Technology: GenAI and neurodiverse learners’. The session is part of the free symposium GenAI Use for Educators: Building Skills for What’s Next, which you can attend in person or online. More information and registration here.
I look forward to seeing some of you face-to-face and online in these sessions, and I hope to work with many of you next year in the new Leadership program. If you have any questions, reply to this email!
Cheers,
Leon
PS: Last week, Cyber Safety Project launched a new short course on PracticalAIStrategies.com. Check out the course Deepfakes and Synthetic Media here.