After a student was stabbed with a knife and the $3.7 million system failed to detect it, a security company that sells AI weapons scanners to schools is facing new inquiries about its technology.
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| Image Source - Google | Image by <br><a href= BBC News |
Student Ehni Ler Htoo was wounded with a knife on Halloween of last year while he was walking down the hallway of his school in Utica, New York.
The victim's attorney revealed exclusively to the BBC that the 18-year-old had sustained many stab wounds to his hand, neck, face, shoulder, and back.
Despite the installation of a multimillion-dollar weapons detection system by a company called Evolv Technology, the knife used in the attack was carried inside Proctor High School.
A security company called Evolv Technology wants to replace conventional metal detectors with AI weapons scanning.
Evolve claims that its scanner "combines powerful sensor technology with proven artificial intelligence" to detect weapons rather than just detecting metal.
The system issues an alert when it discovers a concealed weapon, such as knives, bombs, or weapons.
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| Image Source - Google | Image by <br><a href= BBC News |
The business previously promised that its scanners might aid in the creation of "weapons-free zones" and has openly asserted that its equipment is very accurate.
According to Peter George, the company's chief executive, its systems "have the signatures for all the weapons that are out there."
Knives, explosives, and firearms are among the weapons that the system can locate, according to earlier news releases.
Major US stadiums including the Manchester Arena in the UK employ the system. The testers recommended that Evolv educate prospective customers.
Despite this, the business claims to be present in hundreds of US schools as it continues to grow.
The stabbing
The Utica Schools Board purchased 13 schools' worth of Evolv's weapons scanning technology in March 2022. It was set up during the summer break.
According to a source at the school who has viewed the security film, the attacker who attacked Ehni Ler Htoo was seen on CCTV entering Proctor High School and going through the Evolv weapons scanners on October 31.
"We all asked the same question after watching the horrifying footage. How did the student enter the building with the knife? stated Utica Schools' chief executive officer Brian Nolan.
The stabbing weapon was longer than 9 inches (22.8 cm).
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| Image Source - Google | Image by <br><a href= BBC News |
The attack prompted the school system in Utica to conduct an internal investigation.
Knives were not intended to be detected by the Evolv Weapon Detection System, according to an investigation, Mr. Nolan said.
Proctor High School now has 10 metal detectors in place of the scanners. However, the remaining 12 schools in the district continue to use the scanners. According to Mr. Nolan, the district does not have the funds to replace the Evolve system in its remaining schools.
Three other knives have reportedly been discovered on kids at other schools in the district where the Evolv systems are still in use after that attack, according to Mr. Nolan.
The Evolv website
The language on Evolv's website was altered following the stabbing.
Evolve had a title on its homepage that bragged about having "Weapons-Free Zones" up until October of last year. The corporation afterward modified the language to "Safe Zones" and omitted that phrase. Now it says "Safer Zones" after another modification.
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| Image Source - Google | Image by <br><a href= BBC News |
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| Image Source - Google | Image by <br><a href= BBC News |
Evolv asserts that its system locates firearms using cutting-edge AI technology. However, its detractors claim that not enough is understood about the system's operation or how well this technology detects various kinds of weaponry.
The BBC gave Evolv a thorough right of reply outlining what had transpired at the school in Utica and the institution's decision to stop using the company's system.
Additionally, we inquired as to whether Evolv had informed schools that its systems could not consistently identify large knives, what Evolv had disclosed to schools regarding what its systems could and could not detect, and whether Evolv believed its systems were appropriate for use in educational settings. The questions were not addressed by Evolv.
Security equipment analysis company IPVM's Conor Healy claims that Evolv has overstated the system's effectiveness.
Schools are frequently spending millions of dollars on new technology only to discover it has hidden weaknesses after making bold marketing claims. One of the worst offenders is Evolv. Companies like Evolv profit from the lack of technical expertise in weapons identification among school officials.
Selling a security product designed to safeguard children is wrong, he continued. Playing around with marketing promises is also unacceptable.
Despite declining to comment, Evolv did point the BBC to a blog post written by its CEO, Peter George, in which he justifies the company's decision to be vague about the technology.
Marketing for weapons detection security necessitates striking a careful balance between teaching stakeholders about new technologies and preventing the dissemination of information that could be used by malicious actors for malicious purposes, according to the expert.
As a result, "we communicate all aspects of the Evolv Express system - including restrictions and capabilities - with the trusted security professionals at our clients, partners, and prospects," the blog post stated. "Public-facing marketing materials are purposefully vague in this regard.
Seven additional school districts with Evolv weapons scanners were contacted by the. Five remained silent. Two declined to comment, they said.
