High school’s AI security system confuses Doritos bag for a possible firearm

In a surprising incident at a high school in Baltimore County, Maryland, an AI-driven security system misidentified a student’s bag of Doritos as a potential firearm, leading to a serious misunderstanding. Taki Allen, a student at Kenwood High School, recounted the alarming moment when he was confronted by authorities. He stated, "I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun." The situation escalated quickly, with Allen being instructed to kneel, place his hands behind his back, and was subsequently handcuffed. Principal Katie Smith later informed parents that the security department had reviewed the alert and found it to be a false alarm. However, due to a lack of immediate awareness regarding the cancellation of the alert, the school resource officer was notified, prompting a call to local law enforcement. In response to the incident, Omnilert, the company behind the AI gun detection system, expressed regret over the occurrence and extended their concern to Allen and the broader school community. They emphasized that, despite the unfortunate outcome, their system operated as it was designed to do.