Illinois schools will be required to update cyberbullying policies to address AI deepfakes, after the state amended regulations to treat nonconsensual deepfake creation and distribution as a form of cyberbullying. The policy targets the “Cambrian explosion” of AI misuse seen in schools, including sexualized images and videos created without consent. By July 1, schools were expected to update disciplinary measures, educate students and parents, and operationalize reporting pathways for impacted families. The legislation also pushes districts to translate a novel harm category into existing compliance infrastructure. School leaders and policy advocates emphasized that effective implementation must include both clear consequences and explicit protocols for reporting and support—so the initial response to a student report does not compound harm.