An artificial intelligence (AI) security system at a Baltimore high school falsely identified a student's Doritos bag as a pistol, resulting in an armed police reaction that left the teenager arrested and terrified. Taki Allen (16), a Kenwood High School student, claims he was sitting outside with friends when cops approached him with firearms drawn.
“At first, I didn’t know where they were going until they started walking toward me with guns, talking about, ‘Get on the ground,’ and I was like, ‘What?’" Taki Allen told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Officers forced Taki Allen, who happened to be Black, to his knees, handcuffed him, and searched his bags, only to discover nothing but snacks. They then showed him an image taken by the school's new AI-powered weapons detection system, which triggered the warning.
“I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun," Taki Allen said.
Last year, Baltimore County Public Schools began installing an AI-based gun detection system that monitors campus security cameras and alerts authorities to probable firearms. Officials claimed the device warns both the school administration and local police when it detects something that could be a firearm.
In this scenario, it appears that the AI misunderstood Taki Allen's hand gesture while holding the Doritos bag for a weapon.
The school acknowledged the distress caused by the false alert, saying, “We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched as well as the other students who witnessed the incident. Our counselors will provide direct support to the students who were involved in this incident and are also available to speak with any student who may need support."
