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AI Mistake: Clarinet Sparks School Lockdown
17 Dec
Summary
- An AI system mistook a clarinet for a rifle, causing a lockdown.
- A student in a military costume was the focus of the false alarm.
- This incident highlights concerns about AI reliability in schools.
An AI-powered surveillance system mistakenly identified a clarinet as a rifle at Lawton Chiles Middle School in Oviedo, Florida, leading to a campus lockdown last week. The system alerted law enforcement to a student dressed in a military costume with what appeared to be a weapon. Responding officers found the student holding a clarinet, leading to the alarm being quickly resolved.
Seminole County Public Schools, like many districts nationwide, employs AI surveillance to enhance campus security amid concerns over school shootings. The ZeroEyes system scans footage for threats, but this incident, alongside others like a misidentification of chips as a weapon in Maryland, underscores the fallibility of such technologies. Experts express concerns about undue student stress and the potential for 'alarm fatigue' from frequent false positives.
ZeroEyes defends its system, stating trained employees review alerts and that the software aims to be proactive. They noted the student was holding the clarinet in a manner resembling a rifle. While no threat was present, school officials urged parents to discuss the dangers of simulating weapons on campus. The company has operated in 48 states, detecting over 1,000 weapons in three years, but critics cite its unproven nature and potential privacy issues.
