Teen Handcuffed At Gunpoint After AI System Mistakes Chip Bag For Gun

A 16-year-old student at Kenwood High School in Baltimore was handcuffed at gunpoint last Monday, after an AI detection system mistakenly identified his crumpled Doritos bag as a weapon. Taki Allen said he finished eating chips and put the empty bag in his pocket before eight police cars surrounded him about 20 minutes later. “They made me get on my knees, put my hands behind my back and cuffed me. Then, they searched me and they figured out I had nothing,” Allen told WBAL-TV 11. Police showed him the triggering image afterward. “I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun,” he said. Allen recalled thinking “Are they going to kill me?” during the encounter. The AI system is manufactured by Omnialert, which creates detection technology for schools and other facilities. (Story URL)