More than 100 schools across the United States have partnered with ZeroEyes, a company founded by military veterans in 2018, to implement an artificial intelligence-powered firearm detection tool. This proactive solution aims to prevent active shooter incidents by integrating with existing digital security cameras.
ZeroEyes’ technology is designed to identify visible firearms within camera range, usually within two to three seconds. The system sends an image from the video feed to human monitoring centers for verification, reducing the risk of false positives. Once a threat is confirmed, local authorities are immediately notified. Alerts inform school administrators about the firearm detection, specifying the camera that identified the potential threat.
Sam Alaimo, a co-founder of ZeroEyes, explained to Fox News Digital how the algorithm flags potential threats, and human analysts confirm them. He noted that the software is now installed in over 100 schools across 35 states.
Despite concerns about privacy, ZeroEyes assures that their tool does not use facial recognition nor stores biometric identifiers. The technology only records and retains images in the event of an active shooter or mass shooting incident. Data is always transmitted and stored in an encrypted format, and customers can specify data retention timeframes.
School districts like the Iberville Parish School District in Louisiana plan to implement ZeroEyes as part of enhanced security measures. Superintendent Louis Voiron emphasized the importance of being proactive in light of recent nearby shootings.
The Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District in New Jersey also uses the technology, allowing school resource officers to focus on building relationships with students rather than solely monitoring cameras.
Ocean City Police Chief Jay Prettyman mentioned that the presence of such technology could deter other criminal activities as well. He highlighted the importance of pushing “evil off to another day” to protect students.
In addition to educational institutions, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and the United States Air Force have also adopted ZeroEyes’ AI technology.
