Cops alerted by AI gun detection system arrest high school student holding bag of Doritos -- eight cars sent to disarm ch

[Jack Valentino]

Cops alerted by AI gun detection system arrest high school student holding bag of Doritos — eight cars sent to disarm chip-toting teen

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/cops-alerted-by-ai-gun-detection-system-arrest-high-school-student-holding-bag-of-doritos-eight-cars-sent-to-disarm-chip-toting-teen

A young student was left traumatized after being ordered to the ground and handcuffed by police because an AI gun detection system erroneously called the cops on his Doritos habit.

Taki Allen ate the bag of chips while waiting to be picked up from Kenwood High School, Baltimore, last Monday night (Oct 20), reports WBAL-TV 11 News. Football practice was over, and the student was sitting with friends outside the school. However, his crunchy repast triggered the school’s security camera Omnilert AI system.

20 minutes after he began chomping on the savory corn-based treat, eight police cars arrived in response to Allen’s snack habit. He was quickly ordered to his knees by armed police, and his hands were cuffed behind his back. “It was a scary situation,” Allen explained to WBAL-TV.

It didn’t take long before the AI error became apparent to all involved. Police were pleasingly transparent about the AI snafu, though. According to the student’s interview with local news, he was shown an image explaining the sizable police response. However, the picture puzzled him. “I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun,” Allen said to WBAL-TV 11 News.

Read more:
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/cops-alerted-by-ai-gun-detection-system-arrest-high-school-student-holding-bag-of-doritos-eight-cars-sent-to-disarm-chip-toting-teen


Probably a good thing they didn't send 'Robocops'..... Sounds like good grounds for a lawsuit to this non-lawyer...

[MarineCombatEngineer]

1. It's actually a good thing ICEholes didn't show up,

they would've gassed the whole area and shot pepper balls or live ammo at this guy.

[Jack Valentino]

4. I suspect ICE agents would feel particularly threatened by the bag of Doritos--

'seems a little Mexican' according to their profiling....

[Silent Type]

2. Definitely need to re-calibrate that thing. But, I'm for just about anything that prevents some shootings.

[Melon]

3. Having a detection system for guns at a school

Although you have a few false positives that result in bas call outs, sounds like a good thing for school safety. It misidentified the gun this time, but did result in an immediate call out of police which is good, and they recognized it was a false alert.

[intheflow]

6. Yeah, after they handcuffed and threw down the teen.

Like, that couldn't possibly be traumatic for that kid. AI sucks, and there are better ways to detect a kid in school with a gun - most importantly, taking teachers and students seriously when they report threats and suspicions. Too many school shootings are due to school admin not taking students threats seriously. Just like they do with bullying, and then when a kid commits suicide from being bullied, they're like, "But what could we have done?"

[AZJonnie]

9. But if it had gotten it right, the detection system would be the hero of the story

I respect your points and think it's a REALLY bad idea to entirely rely on a system of this nature. But eventually (if not already and we collectively don't know of the instance when it did) it will get it right, and once that happens, the whole idea will become a lot more debatable in terms of its inherent value, would you agree?

And although yeah, there is certainly the risk that student was scarred by the incident (certainly some personalities would be!), it's also going to make him famous around campus, which may have a offsetting psychological effect. I'm hoping in the end the kid can laugh it off and move on with life. I'm pretty sure I would, but I'm not everyone.

[Melon]

11. Ordered to the ground...not thrown. Yet you'll complain if nothing is done about school shootings?

This is a system working. The kid said he had his hand positioned in a way that the ai misidentified. It happens. Police got called on an old guy in my area with a misidentified umbrella. Muhhh. Nothing is infallible. The system wouldn’t be there if there was not a perceived or real crime or gun issue. Is this a daily article…nope. It’s a one off.


Edit. In 2024 alone the campus was locked down at least one for a shooting plus a serious stabbing on campus.

[Prairie Gates]

5. Can American police get lazier, stupider, and more violent?

Why yes, yes they can.

[Diamond_Dog]

7. It's sad we need gun detection systems at schools in the first place.

[Samael13]

8. The school should remove thay system immediately

This absolutely unacceptable AI shouldnt be used at all let alone for stuff like this. It will happen again and maybe with worse results for the student.

[Melon]

12. It's Baltimore. The issue is a system designed to help prevent school shootings

Versus a very high murder and gun rate. If I lived there, I’d be fully supportive. Review and improve the system, but leave it there.

[republianmushroom]

10. Damn, dudes, think you got a problem here.