Amid the persistent issue of gun violence in U.S. schools, a groundbreaking approach is emerging, deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a bid to deter this menace.
Several schools in the U.S have opted to utilize an AI technology developed by ZeroEyes in their fight against potential school shooters.
According to NBC, the U.S. witnesses hundreds of school shootings every year, with 60% concluding even before law enforcement arrives. With AI providing real-time intelligence, it is anticipated that this grim statistic can be considerably reduced.
ZeroEyes’ innovative artificial intelligence solution, already functional in Ocean City, New Jersey schools, employs millions of images taken from various angles and heights, to help identify potential threats.
The company’s CEO, Michael Lahiff, equates the AI tool to a smoke alarm, stating that the larger death toll from mass shootings compared to fires underscores the necessity of a threat detection mechanism akin to the former.
ABC News reports that ZeroEyes’ AI alerts, generated when a firearm is detected, are carefully reviewed by a team stationed at the company’s headquarters.
The AI technology has reportedly had an impeccable track record thus far, with Lahiff affirming that the system has not erred in its alerts. The implementation of this technology pays off in terms of response times as well; once a gun is detected, it generally takes less than 30 seconds for the police to start heading towards the identified location.
Commending the technology, Police Chief Jay Prettyman of Ocean City termed it ‘invaluable’ and expressed the belief that its mere presence could act as a deterrent to potential wrongdoers. ZeroEyes’ AI is also being used as far away as Utah, where the local state Congress sanctioned a $3 million funding in August to roll out this AI surveillance in schools.
In addition to schools, ZeroEyes’ innovative solution has found its way into the public transport system of Philadelphia and even the US Air Force, marking an industry-wide acknowledgment of the potency of AI in preventing firearm-related violence.
Ocean City also utilizes the technology to monitor its city boardwalk for weapons. As this innovative AI spreads its reach, the hope to curb school shootings and bolster security rises.
Adding to the grievous state of events, 2022 marked a particularly grim milestone in the history of U.S. school shootings, with 303 recorded shootings on K-12 school properties that resulted in 332 victims. This deeply disturbing trend shows no signs of slowing, highlighting the need for urgent, effective solutions.
The deep-seated causes behind this surge in school shootings are varied and complex, with societal issues at its roots.
Disturbingly, “In 2022, 149 of the 332 victims shot in schools were students, with teachers, staff, parents, and community members also falling victim, especially those attending sporting events,” informs expert David Riedman.
The worst-case scenario unfolded at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX, with a former student’s planned attack resulting in the deaths of 19 students and 2 teachers, and injuries to 18 others.
The pervasive fear of school shootings has led to decreased perceptions of school safety among students, parents, and teachers alike, likely contributing to reduced student enrollments and teacher shortages.
Notably, 57% of teens and 63% of parents of teenagers are chronically worried about a shooting happening at their school. Even more sobering, 70% of members of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) note that the looming threat of gun violence negatively impacts the environments in their school.
Classrooms do not encapsulate the full extent of these horrors; over half (54%) of school shootings occurred in areas excluding classrooms – including school parking lots, sports fields, and other outdoor locations. Such statistics demand that education leaders reassess the efficacy of standard security measures, like metal detectors, which are unable to protect against threats outside schools.
This realization underscores the need for proactive security solutions like ZeroEyes’ AI that can be used both indoors and outdoors, providing enhanced security coverage where it’s critically needed.
The underlying triggers for school shootings are not always premeditated or profile-specific, contrary to what media attention suggests. The highest trigger instead is the “escalation of dispute”, followed by accidental incidents, often involving a student, parent, or visitor inadvertently carrying a firearm to school. Importantly, not all school shooters are students or even former students, with current and former students only accounting for 47% of active school shooters.
Gravely, 71% of active shooters at schools manage to escape the scene, with a third never being apprehended. Therefore, there’s a dire need for improved identification and response to active shooters – a need that AI solutions like ZeroEyes are designed to fill. By enabling faster identification and response time, such systems can potentially minimize the harm caused by active shooters.
