A Baltimore County, Maryland high school student was reportedly handcuffed and searched after an AI-powered security system mistakenly identified his bag of chips as a gun.
Taki Allen, who attends Kenwood High School, explained to CNN affiliate WBAL, “I was simply holding a bag of Doritos — both hands and one finger out, and they claimed it resembled a firearm.” Allen added, “They forced me to kneel, put my hands behind my back, and then handcuffed me.”
Principal Katie Smith informed parents in a statement that the school’s security team had reviewed and dismissed the gun detection alert. However, Smith, unaware that the alert had already been cleared, notified the school resource officer, who then contacted local law enforcement.
Omnilert, the company responsible for the AI gun detection technology, told CNN, “We are sorry this situation happened and want to express our concern for the student and the broader community impacted by what occurred.” Still, Omnilert stated that “the system operated as it was designed to.”
