The government's Media Literacy Action Plan, published in March 2026, makes clear students need to understand deepfakes, AI-generated content and algorithmic manipulation. Updated RSHE guidance requiring coverage of deepfakes and AI-generated content becomes statutory from September 2026. Revised KCSIE guidance explicitly addressing AI deepfakes and emerging online harms is due to take effect the same month.

What you get

• 1 x fully editable PowerPoint .pptx
  • A 60 minute lesson
  • Introductory video
  • Activities, scenarios and whole-class discussion prompts
  • No external logins or extra tech needed
• 1 x Teacher Notes booklet .pdf
  • Slide-by-slide guidance and suggested wording
  • Timings and activity instructions
  • Safeguarding advice on handling disclosures and signposting (DSL, CEOP, Childline)

What students will learn

Students will:

• Understand what a deepfake is in plain terms
• Distinguish creative use from harmful, abusive use
• Recognise deepfake sexual images as abuse, not banter
• Explore impact on victims and why “it is only a fake” is not a defence
• Learn a simple STOP – NOTE – REPORT response if someone they know is targeted

Suitable for PSHE / RSHE lessons, online safety days, assemblies or tutor-time sessions. No prior technical knowledge required.

About deepfakes

Deepfake images can be created by wide variety of tools: Grok is perhaps the the most infamous offender, but specific tools such as DeepSwap, SoulGen, DeepNudeNow, Reface and Zao are all too well-known. On the other hand, popular image generators such as Dall-E, Nano Banana (Gemini) and Midjourney have strong guardrails and are unlikely to produce malicious images when prompted.

When to teach this lesson

Use this when you need a serious, legally aware, deepfake lesson that you can deliver with confidence.