NYPD's ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection System Found Largely Inaccurate, Wasting Resources
An audit by the New York City Comptroller found that ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system used by the NYPD, is overwhelmingly inaccurate. Only 13 percent of alerts in June 2023 corresponded to confirmed shootings, and the system missed over 200 real gunfire incidents in Manhattan in 2022. The NYPD has spent more than $45 million on the system since 2015. The comptroller advised against renewing the contract until the system can be fully evaluated.
- Company involved
- New York Police Department
- AI system involved
- ShotSpotter
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Baltimore County student handcuffed after AI gun detection system mistakes chips for firearm
A student at Kenwood High School in Essex, Maryland, was handcuffed and searched by police after an AI gun detection system misidentified his bag of Doritos as a firearm. The system, used by Baltimore County high schools, alerted law enforcement, leading officers to approach Taki Allen with guns drawn. Allen was detained and searched but no weapon was found. The school acknowledged the incident and offered counseling to affected students.
- Company involved
- Baltimore County Public Schools
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Prairie Village Police Stop Lawyer at Gunpoint After License Plate Reader Error
In April 2014, lawyer Mark Molner was driving his BMW in Prairie Village, Kansas, when police stopped him because a license plate reader misread a '7' as a '2', falsely identifying his car as a stolen Oldsmobile. An officer approached with his gun drawn but not pointed at Molner, who was shocked. The police later explained the error, and Molner did not pursue legal action.
- Company involved
- Prairie Village Police Department
- AI system involved
- Elsag PMH-900
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Baltimore County Schools Relocate Students After AI Gun False Alarm
On November 7, 2025, an AI security system called Omnilert reported a possible gun at Parkville High School in Baltimore County, Maryland. Students were relocated while police searched the school, but no threat was found. The incident follows a similar false alarm at Kenwood High School in October, where Omnilert mistook a bag of chips for a gun, leading to students being handcuffed. Baltimore County Public Schools has promised annual training on protocols for responding to Omnilert alerts.
- Company involved
- Baltimore County Public Schools
- AI system involved
- Omnilert
1 source article · read the reporting →
TSA body scanners trigger invasive searches of transgender travellers
Transgender and gender nonconforming travellers in the US allege that Transportation Security Administration full-body scanners, which require officers to select a binary gender, routinely flag their bodies as anomalies, leading to humiliating and invasive pat-downs. Travellers including Olivia, Terra Fox and Allister McGuire describe being pressured to expose their genitals or strip in private rooms after alarms, with one woman saying she was forced to show her penis to female officers who then cleared her. The TSA says it is committed to treating all travellers equally and has introduced new transgender awareness training, but internal complaint data shows a disproportionate number of civil rights complaints relate to screening of transgender people. ProPublica’s review of 174 traveller accounts found that most did not file a formal complaint, often from fear of outing themselves or not knowing how.
- Company involved
- Transportation Security Administration
- AI system involved
- Full-body scanner
1 source article · read the reporting →
Lockport City School District's Facial Recognition System Misidentified Black Faces and Weapons
Lockport City School District deployed SN Technologies' AEGIS face and weapons detection system in January 2020. Parents and the New York Civil Liberties Union allege the system misidentifies Black people more often than white people and falsely detects weapons such as broom handles. A lawsuit was filed against the New York State Education Department seeking to ban facial recognition in schools. SN Technologies denied misleading the district.
- Company involved
- Lockport City School District
- AI system involved
- AEGIS
1 source article · read the reporting →
Florida school locked down after AI surveillance mistakes clarinet for gun
An AI-powered surveillance system at a Seminole County middle school in Florida falsely identified a clarinet as a gun, triggering a lockdown and police response. The system detected a person in camouflage holding what it classified as a shouldered rifle, but it was actually a musical instrument. The incident highlights concerns about the reliability of AI gun detection in schools. No injuries were reported.
- Company involved
- Seminole County middle school
1 source article · read the reporting →
ShotSpotter held in contempt over refusal to release documents
ShotSpotter, a gunshot-detection technology company, was held in contempt of court after refusing to release documents about how it assesses gunshot alerts. The case stems from a November 2021 DUI arrest in Chicago, where the defence alleges the police pulled the driver over solely based on a ShotSpotter alert. Rather than comply with a subpoena from the Cook County Public Defender Office, ShotSpotter's attorney requested the contempt order to enable an appeal. The defence sought materials on analyst qualifications, alert reclassifications, and sensor accuracy data.
- Company involved
- ShotSpotter
- AI system involved
- ShotSpotter
1 source article · read the reporting →
Suspended ACSO investigator arraigned for alleged Flock camera misuse - NEWS10 ABC
Unauthorized access to license plate data of ex-girlfriend and four other individuals
- Company involved
- Flock
- AI system involved
- Flock
1 source article · read the reporting →
Tesla Autopilot tricked into speeding by electrical tape on sign
Researchers from McAfee Labs demonstrated that a two-inch piece of black electrical tape stuck on a 35 mph speed limit sign can cause the Traffic Aware Cruise Control in older Tesla Model S and X vehicles to misread the sign as 85 mph and automatically accelerate. The vulnerability affects vehicles using the MobilEye EyeQ3 camera system (Hardware Pack 1). The driver can override by braking. Tesla and MobilEye were informed but did not commit to fixing the issue.
- Company involved
- Tesla
- AI system involved
- Tesla Autopilot (Hardware Pack 1 with MobilEye EyeQ3)
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Titus Henderson files civil rights lawsuit against COMPAS
Titus Henderson, a prisoner, filed a civil rights lawsuit against COMPAS and other defendants in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on July 16, 2018. The lawsuit alleges discrimination related to the use of the COMPAS risk assessment tool. The case is ongoing.
- AI system involved
- COMPAS
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Tesla changed Sentry Mode after Dutch privacy investigation
Tesla's Sentry Mode security cameras recorded passersby without their consent, storing footage for long periods. The Dutch Data Protection Authority investigated and Tesla subsequently required owner approval and added headlight alerts. No fine was issued.
- Company involved
- Tesla
- AI system involved
- Sentry Mode
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Israeli military uses Smash Hopper turret against Palestinian protesters
The Israeli military deployed Smash Hopper remote-controlled gun turrets in the West Bank. The turrets fire stun grenades, less-than-lethal bullets, and tear gas at Palestinian protesters without warning. The systems were observed at Al-Aroub refugee camp and Hebron in October 2022. The Smash Hopper is produced by Smart Shooter.
- Company involved
- Israeli military
- AI system involved
- Smash Hopper
10 source articles · read the reporting →
United States v. Hayes (E.D. California): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Formal Sanction Imposed + Written Reprimand
The AI-generated fictitious citation was submitted in a motion to unseal, affecting the defendant's legal proceedings.
- Company involved
- Federal Public Defender's Office, Eastern District of California
1 source article · read the reporting →
NHTSA investigates Tesla Autopilot over 11 crashes with first responder vehicles
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla's Autopilot system after identifying 11 crashes in which Tesla vehicles collided with first responder vehicles. In each incident, the vehicles were confirmed to have Autopilot or Traffic-Aware Cruise Control engaged. Most crashes occurred after dark and involved scene control measures such as lights, flares, and road cones. NHTSA will assess the system's ability to monitor driver engagement and handle emergency scenes.
- Company involved
- Tesla Inc.
- AI system involved
- Autopilot
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Thomas Raynard James v. Detective Kevin Conley, et al. (S.D. Florida): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Bar Referral
AI generated hallucinated content in a court filing, affecting the legal process and the lawyers who filed it.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Singapore deploys Xavier robots to patrol public areas for rule-breaking
Singapore's Home Team Science and Technology Agency has deployed Xavier robots to patrol Toa Payoh Central. The robots use AI to detect 'undesirable social behaviours' including gatherings of more than five people, smoking in prohibited areas, illegal hawking, improperly parked bicycles, and mobility devices on footpaths. When detected, the robots alert their command centre and display educational messages. The three-week trial aims to reduce the need for physical patrols by human officers.
- Company involved
- Singapore Home Team Science and Technology Agency
- AI system involved
- Xavier
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Ghost Robotics attaches sniper rifle to robot dog
Ghost Robotics, a military robot maker, shared an image of a quadrupedal robot dog with a sniper rifle attached. The robot, called the Vision-60, is equipped with the Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle (SPUR) by Sword International. The level of autonomy is unknown, and the system is designed for precision fire on unmanned platforms. The development has raised concerns about autonomous weapons.
- Company involved
- Ghost Robotics
- AI system involved
- Vision-60 with SPUR
10 source articles · read the reporting →
OpenAI cuts off engineer who created ChatGPT-powered robotic sentry rifle
An engineer known as STS 3D created a robotic sentry rifle that uses OpenAI's Realtime API to aim and fire a rifle in response to voice commands. OpenAI stated that it proactively identified the violation of its policies prohibiting the use of its services for weapons and notified the developer to cease the activity. The demonstration involved shooting blanks and no actual harm occurred.
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT-powered robotic sentry rifle
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Houston's ShotSpotter system delays police response and over-polices minority communities
Houston Police Department deployed ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system, in Southeast and Northwest Houston starting in late 2020. The system alerts police to suspected gunfire, but over 80% of alerts are unfounded. This has led to longer response times for other calls and increased police presence in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, causing anxiety and concerns of over-policing. Critics argue the technology has not reduced gun violence and diverts resources from more effective strategies.
- Company involved
- Houston Police Department
- AI system involved
- ShotSpotter
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Chicago class action challenges ShotSpotter's discriminatory stop-and-frisk deployments
ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system used by the Chicago Police Department, generates alerts that lead to police deployments and stop-and-frisk stops. Analyses show over 90% of alerts are unfounded, and the system is deployed only in predominantly Black and Latinx districts. A class-action lawsuit against the City of Chicago alleges the system fuels unconstitutional and discriminatory policing, including false accusations against individuals like Michael Williams.
- Company involved
- City of Chicago
- AI system involved
- ShotSpotter
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Evolv weapon detection system falsely flags Chromebooks as weapons
Evolv's AI-based weapon detection system has been reported to falsely identify certain Chromebook laptops as weapons, causing false alarms at security checkpoints. The system is used in venues such as schools. The article discusses the flaw and user experiences. No official response from Evolv has been mentioned.
- Company involved
- Evolv
- AI system involved
- Evolv
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Manchester Arena's Evolv weapon scanners fail to detect some knives, report finds
ASM Global's use of Evolv Express AI weapon scanners at Manchester Arena has been questioned after a private report found the system failed to detect large knives in 42% of walkthroughs. The report, produced by NCS4 and obtained by IPVM, also suggested the scanners may miss some bombs and components. Evolv did not dispute the findings but said it communicates capabilities and limitations to customers. ASM Global declined to comment on security matters.
- Company involved
- ASM Global
- AI system involved
- Evolv Express
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Dallas police used robot to kill gunman after standoff
In July 2016, the Dallas Police Department used a remote-controlled bomb disposal robot to deliver an explosive device to kill Micah Xavier Johnson, a gunman who had killed five police officers and was barricaded in a parking garage. Police Chief David Brown stated that the tactic was used as a last resort to avoid exposing officers to further danger. The incident raised ethical questions about the use of robots for lethal force by law enforcement.
- Company involved
- Dallas Police Department
8 source articles · read the reporting →
