What was intended as a lesson in media literacy turned into a case study in unintended consequences after a school teacher’s AI-generated video showing three tigers roaming through school corridors sparked panic among students and parents in Ula Kalsara Kadaria High Madrasa, located in Kolkata’s adjoining North 24 Parganas district.
The video, which appeared realistic, went viral on social media and frightened students. They stopped coming to school for two days from Wednesday and the administration received a flurry of calls from guardians fearing wild animals' presence on campus.
The school’s headmaster, Monirul Mallick, later clarified that the video was entirely artificial and had been created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) by the school’s geography assistant teacher, Mohammad Yamin Mallick.
“The video was made by the teacher as part of an educational initiative,” Mallick said, adding, “Once we realised that it was causing panic, we contacted the parents, assured them of the truth and deleted the video immediately.”
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Mallick, who created the AI-generated clip, said his motive was to raise awareness among students about the deceptive nature of digital content. "My goal was to help students understand that not everything they see online is real,” he explained, adding, “The video was made to demonstrate how AI can be misused to spread wrong information. I never intended to scare anyone and sincerely apologise for the confusion and fear it caused.”
The school authorities have since confirmed that the premises are completely safe, with no wildlife ever present and that regular classes resumed on Thursday. They have also pledged to handle the use of such technologies with caution in the future.
Although no disciplinary action has been taken against the teacher so far, the incident has highlighted the urgent need for responsible use of emerging technologies in education, especially when dealing with impressionable students.
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