Key Takeaways
- Baltimore police mistakenly handcuffed a teenager after an AI system falsely identified a Doritos bag as a gun.
- Baltimore County Public Schools and local officials are calling for a review of the AI-powered weapon detection system.
- The incident highlights ongoing controversies and calls for oversight in the use of AI technology.
Baltimore police swarmed a teenager after an artificial intelligence system alerted them the boy was holding a gun—but it was actually bag of Doritos.
WBAL-TV 11 News reports that on Monday night, Taki Allen and his friends were sitting outside Kenwood High School after football practice when police showed up, guns drawn.
“It was like eight cop cars that came pulling up for us," Allen told the news outlet. "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?’”
Cops handcuffed Allen and searched him, only to find nothing, and showed him the photo that the AI system sent them.
“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.
Baltimore police claimed that the AI alert was sent to a human for review, but the school's principal missed the alert and contacted the school's safety team which ultimately called the police.
Last year, Baltimore County high schools instituted a gun detection system through AI and school cameras. When the system thinks it sees something suspicious, it notifies the police and the school.
“We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched as well as the other students who witnessed the incident,” a letter to school families said, obtained by WBAL. “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.”
The Baltimore County Police Department said their officers "responded appropriately and proportionally based on the information provided at the time".
Lamont Davis, Allen’s grandfather, told the outlet: “Nobody wants this to happen to their child. No one wants this to happen.”
Meanwhile, Baltimore County local councilman Izzy Pakota has called for more oversight over the use of AI.
"I am calling on Baltimore County Public Schools to review procedures around its AI-powered weapon detection system," wrote the councilman, on Facebook.
Controversies around the use of AI seem to pop up every week now. AI-powered videos of deceased celebrities have recently gone viral, sometimes sparking outrage from people like the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr, who found AI depictions of her father disrespectful.
Despite the backlash and controversies, in a recent interview with Complex, 50 Cent mused that "You can't beat AI."
