AI Misidentifies Doritos Bag as Gun, Triggers Police Response

A gun detection system powered by artificial intelligence mistakenly identified a bag of Doritos as a weapon, leading to a police response involving multiple officers at a Baltimore County high school. The incident occurred on March 15, 2024, when 16-year-old Taki Allen was enjoying a snack outside Kenwood High School after football practice.

According to local news station WBAL-TV, Allen was taken by surprise when a large number of police vehicles arrived at the scene. “It was like eight cop cars that came pulling up for us,” he recounted. Officers instructed him to get on the ground, which left him bewildered. “I was like, ‘What?’” he added, describing the moment as frightening.

The officers handcuffed Allen and conducted a search, quickly determining that he posed no threat. “I was just holding a Doritos bag,” he explained. The AI system had misinterpreted the snack as a firearm, raising significant concerns about the reliability of such technology in school environments.

The incident underscores the limitations of current gun detection systems, which are increasingly being implemented across educational institutions in the United States. Critics point to the potential for privacy violations and the disproportionate impact these technologies may have on students of color. In particular, Allen’s experience raises questions about whether AI-driven surveillance could lead to discrimination.

The Baltimore County Public Schools system adopted the gun detection technology from Virginia-based startup Omnilert in 2023. This system analyzes footage from approximately 7,000 school cameras, scanning for potential weapons in real time. An Omnilert spokesperson, Blake Mitchell, acknowledged the mishap, stating, “Because the image closely resembled a gun being held, it was verified and forwarded to the Baltimore County Public Schools safety team within seconds for their assessment and decision-making.”

In response to the false alarm, Omnilert referred to the incident as a “false positive” but maintained that the system performed as intended. “It functioned to prioritize safety and awareness through rapid human verification,” Mitchell said.

Despite the clarification, Allen expressed deep concern about the incident’s impact on his sense of safety at school. “I don’t feel like going out there anymore,” he stated. “If I eat another bag of chips or drink something, I feel like they’re going to come again.” His family has called for greater oversight regarding the use of such technology in schools. “There was no threat for eight guns to be pointed at a 16-year-old,” his grandfather, Lamont Davis, remarked.

The incident is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities present in AI systems designed to enhance safety. School authorities are now faced with the challenge of balancing technological advancements that aim to prevent violence with the real-world implications of their deployment. As discussions continue about the effectiveness and ethical considerations surrounding gun detection technology, the incident involving Taki Allen illustrates the urgent need for improved accuracy and accountability in the systems that monitor students.