AI Security Malfunction
Cops Cuff Teen After System Mistakes Chip Bag For Gun
Published
CNN
An AI security system spotted a teenager with a gun and promptly alerted the police in Baltimore … well, at least it thought it did — but it was only flagging a bag of cheesy goodness.
New body cam footage from Kenwood High School in Baltimore County, Maryland captured the incident where Taki Allen — a 16-year-old student — gets patted down while handcuffed after an AI-powered gun detection system flagged him, believing he was carrying.
After searching him, they found nothing … an officer on the body cam tries to explain it away as the AI system firing off the alarm because of “the way you guys were eating chips, Doritos whatever, it picked it up as a gun.”
The school uses Omnilert — a program which taps into existing school camera feeds to detect objects that resemble weapons and then alerts school safety officers and law enforcement.
Allen spoke to the local news station WBAL-TV 11 News … and he said he had two hands on the chip bag with one finger out when the system flagged him — unclear if Omnialert thought the finger was a gun.
A spokesperson for the Baltimore County Police Department tells us … “The officers responded appropriately and proportionally based on the information provided at the time. The incident was safely resolved after it was determined there was no threat.”
AI might be a great tool … but, it’s certainly not right every time — and, it’s fortunate no one got hurt here.
