AI gun detector flags Doritos bag as weapon, triggers panic
What's the story
In a bizarre case, an AI-powered gun detection system mistook a bag of Doritos chips for a weapon. The incident took place at Kenwood High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, where 16-year-old Taki Allen was enjoying his snack after football practice. The false alarm triggered a heavy police response with multiple armed officers arriving on the scene.
Incident
Police ordered him to get on ground
The police officers, who arrived in eight patrol cars, ordered Allen to get on the ground. He was then handcuffed and searched before they realized he was unarmed. "I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun," Allen told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Technology flaws
Incident raises questions about gun detection systems
This incident underscores the major flaws in current gun detection systems being deployed in schools across the US. These systems have not only failed to prevent deadly shootings but also raised privacy concerns over monitoring students with imperfect AI technology. The Baltimore County Public Schools system had implemented Omnilert's gun detection tech last year, which scans surveillance footage for potential weapons in real-time.
Tech details
Omnilert explains how it mistook snack for a gun
Omnilert's system analyzes the image frames from 7,000 school cameras for suspicious activity. A company spokesperson explained that the AI system mistook Allen's snack for a gun and flagged it to the Baltimore County Public Schools safety team within seconds. Despite being aware of the false alarm now, they admitted it still resembles a gun to most people.
Company statement
'False positive' but still 'functioned as intended': Omnilert
After the incident, Omnilert called it a "false positive" but said it "functioned as intended: to prioritize safety and awareness through rapid human verification." Meanwhile, Allen expressed his disappointment at not receiving an apology from the school. He said he was only told that it was protocol and expected someone to talk to him about the incident.
Accountability sought
Family demands accountability for police's overreaction
Allen's family is now demanding accountability for the police's overreaction. His grandfather, Lamont Davis, told The Baltimore Banner that there was no justification for such a heavy-handed response to a 16-year-old. The incident has raised serious concerns about the effectiveness and reliability of AI-powered security systems in schools.