A security firm that sells AI gun scanners to schools is facing new questions about its technology after a student was attacked with a knife the $3.7 million system failed to detect.
On Halloween last year, student Ehni Ler Htoo was walking down the hallway of his school in Utica, New York, when another student came up behind him and stabbed him.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC, his victim’s lawyer said the 18-year-old suffered multiple stab wounds to his head, neck, face, shoulder, back and hand.
The knife used in the attack was brought to Proctor High School, though a $3.7 million weapon detection system was installed by a company called Evolv Technology.
Evolv Technology is a security company looking to replace traditional metal detectors with AI weapons scanners.
Rather than just detecting metal, their scanners combine “powerful sensor technology with proven artificial intelligence” to detect weapons, according to Evolv.
If the system detects a concealed weapon – such as knives, bombs or firearms – it triggers an alarm.
The company has publicly stated that its system is extremely accurate and has previously boasted that its scanners could help create “weapon-free zones.”
The company’s CEO, Peter George, also said its systems “have the signatures of every weapon there is.”
Previous press releases listed the weapons the system can find – including firearms, explosive devices and knives.
However, a BBC investigation last year found that tests had shown the system was not reliable at detecting large knives – after Evolv’s scanner missed 42% of large knives in 24 passes.
The system is used in major stadiums in the US and the Manchester Arena in the UK. The testers said Evolv should inform potential customers.
Despite this, the company is expanding into schools and now claims to be in hundreds of schools across the US.
In March 2022, the Utica Schools Board purchased Evolv’s gun scanning system for 13 schools. The installation took place over the summer holidays.
According to a source at the school who saw the security footage, on October 31, CCTV filmed the perpetrator of the attack on Ehni Ler Htoo entering Proctor High School and passing through the Evolv weapons scanners.
“As we watched the horrifying video, we all asked the same question: How did the student bring the knife to school?” said Brian Nolan, Superintendent of Utica Schools.
The knife used in the stabbing was over 9 inches long.
The attack sparked an internal investigation by the Utica School District.
“Investigations determined that the Evolv weapon detection system … was not designed to detect knives,” Mr. Nolan said.
The scanners were removed from Proctor High School and replaced with ten metal detectors. However, the scanners are still in use in the remaining twelve schools in the district. Mr Nolan says the district cannot afford to scrap the Evolv system in its remaining schools.
Since that attack, three more knives have been found on students at other schools in the district that continue to operate the Evolv systems, Mr. Nolan said.
One of the knives was 7 inches long. Another was a curved blade with finger holes. Another was a pocket knife. Mr Nolan says they were all found because they were reported to staff – not because the gun scanner spotted them.
“The children [who had the knives] “Everyone said they went straight through the weapon detection system, we asked them about it…it really, really doesn’t find knives,” he said.
After the knife attack, the wording on Evolv’s website changed.
Up until October of last year, Evolv’s home page featured the heading “Gun-Free Zones.” The company then removed that wording and changed the text to “Safe Zones.” It has since been changed again and reads “Safer Zones”.
Evolv claims its system uses cutting-edge AI technology to find weapons. However, critics say not enough is known about how the system works – or how effective this technology is at finding different types of weapons.
The BBC sent Evolv a detailed Right of Response outlining what had happened at the school in Utica and the school’s decision to stop using its system.
We also asked what Evolv has told the schools about what its system can and cannot detect, whether it has told the schools that independent testing has found its systems cannot reliably detect large knives, and if it agrees that its systems are suitable for use in schools. Evolv didn’t answer the questions.
Conor Healy of IPVM, a company that analyzes security equipment, says Evolv exaggerated the system’s effectiveness.
“There is an epidemic of schools that buy new technology based on bold marketing promises, only to find out, often millions of dollars later, that it has hidden flaws. Evolv is one of the worst offenders. School officials aren’t technical experts on gun detection, and companies like that.” Evolv capitalizes on their ignorance.”
It is unacceptable to make hasty marketing claims when selling a security product designed to protect young people, he added.
Although Evolv gave the BBC no comment, it did point to a blog post by its CEO, Peter George, in which he defended the lack of detail on how much the company has said about how the technology works.
“Commercializing security in weapons detection requires a delicate balance between educating stakeholders about new technologies and avoiding providing malicious actors with information that could use it to wreak havoc,” he said.
“While publicly available marketing materials are intentionally non-specific, we communicate all aspects of the Evolv Express system – including limitations and features – with the trusted security experts of our customers, partners and prospects,” the blog post reads.
The BBC contacted seven other school districts, all of which use Evolv gun scanners. Five did not answer. Two said they did not want to comment.
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