Recently, an incident of AI misjudgment unfolded in Baltimore County, Maryland, in the United States. The AI-powered gun - detection system installed at a local high school erroneously identified a bag of Doritos chips tucked in a 16 - year - old student's pocket as a firearm. This misidentification triggered the dispatch of eight police cars along with armed officers to the scene.

Upon arrival, the student was instructed to kneel down. His hands were firmly restrained behind his back and then handcuffed. However, during the subsequent search, no weapons were discovered on him.

The system in question is supplied by Omnilert. This system was introduced to local schools last year with the purpose of scanning surveillance footage in real - time to detect the presence of weapons. Omnilert has acknowledged that this was a false alarm. Nevertheless, they contended that the system operated as designed. Its main goal is to ensure safety by promptly triggering human verification processes.