Baltimore City Schools Clarifies Use of AI Weapons Detection Technology

BALTIMORE — During a recent hearing of the Baltimore City Council Public Safety Committee, officials from Baltimore City Public Schools discussed the deployment of an AI weapons detection system known as Evolv.

The technology, which comes with a $5.5 million price tag for a four-year contract, aims to improve safety and efficiency within schools. Currently, there are 53 Evolv systems installed across 27 high schools in the city.

City Schools representatives emphasized that the AI's facial recognition capabilities are not utilized in the schools, and the weapons detection feature is strictly employed at school entrances, rather than in hallways or classrooms.

In a pilot program, the Evolv systems processed approximately 14,000 entries each morning, with around 30% resulting in alerts. However, most alerts were triggered by benign items, such as glasses cases, laptops, or water bottles. Notably, the technology did not detect any firearms last school year, and only one BB gun has been identified this year.

Councilman Mark Conway, who leads the public safety committee, raised concerns regarding the cost and capabilities of the Evolv system. He noted that while the system claims to use AI to identify various types of weapons, Baltimore City Schools is only utilizing it to detect the presence of certain items on individuals.

Conway questioned whether the district may have overpaid for a system that functions similarly to a more basic metal detector, especially given that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had previously investigated Evolv's claims about the technology's capabilities.

As the discussion continues, the city schools' administration is faced with scrutiny over its investment in the AI technology and its effectiveness in enhancing safety measures within Baltimore's public high schools.

Reported by HarborBeat based on WBFF (source).