Police Detain US Teenager After AI System Mistakes Bag Of Chips For Gun

A school student was detained by police in Baltimore County, Maryland, after an artificial intelligence (AI) system mistakenly identified his bag of Doritos as a firearm, The Guardian reported. The student, identified as Taki Allen, was eating a snack with his friends outside Kenwood High School on Monday night when the bizarre incident happened.

An AI-powered security system, developed by Omnilert, at the school flagged his bag as a threat. The system sent an alert to school officials and police officials who arrived at the scene and approached Allen with guns drawn. They ordered him to get on the ground.

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"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?'" Allen said, speaking to WBAL-TV 11 News.

Allen was handcuffed and searched, but no weapon was found. The footage was later reviewed, and police found a crumpled bag of chips, which might have appeared like a gun to the AI system.

"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.

The incident sparked concerns about the usage of AI surveillance systems for security and the risks of false alerts.

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The school administration issued an apology to Allen and other students who witnessed the incident. "We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched as well as the other students who witnessed the incident," the school wrote in a letter to families obtained by WBAL TV 11 News.

"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."

Omnilert, the company behind the AI system, also issued a statement regretting the incident. "We regret this incident occurred and wish to convey our concern to the student and the wider community affected by the events that followed," Omnilert told BBC News.