Accuracy concerns with AI weapon detection systems

ATLANTA — Metro Atlanta school districts are investing millions in artificial intelligence-powered weapon detection systems, hoping the technology will prevent future tragedies. 

But school safety experts warn the systems aren’t as accurate as they appear. 

“It’s in some ways good technology,” said Michael Dorn, CEO of Safe Havens International. “In five to 10 years, it’ll probably be very good if this company is able to stay in business. But there’s some major issues with them now.”

His nonprofit focuses on K-12 safety and tested the Evolv Express system in several Florida schools. Their assessment raised red flags about the system’s reliability.

“In most of those schools, our analysts are confident they can get guns into those buildings,” Dorn said. “They clearly lied to us about the capabilities of device.”

A 2022 confidential report shared with 11Alive details an Evolv Technology field test. While the system detected almost every gun, it missed one particular type on two walkthroughs and failed to detect four out of every 10 knives.

The Federal Trade Commission sued Evolv over what it called false claims about the system’s capabilities. The FTC alleged the company made “false claims about the extent to which its AI-powered security screening system can detect weapons and ignore harmless personal items.”

Evolv settled with the FTC and changed its advertising, but denied any wrongdoing.

“Evolv states, and its customers know, that there is no perfect security solution, including Evolv Express, that will stop all threats, all the time, and that a layered approach combining people, process and technology is necessary,” it wrote on its website. “Yet, they choose Evolv Express to help them meet some of their most demanding security requirements because among other things: (a) Evolv Express is highly effective at detecting firearms and other mass casualty weapons; (b) it has a high throughput rate; (c) its settings can be adjusted and optimized to meet a customer’s unique security screening requirements; and (d) the use of the Evolv Express solution can help reduce labor costs.”

DeKalb County Schools Chief of Police Tracey Whaley told 11Alive that’s why they continue to invest in the technology. His district began using Evolv in the 2023-24 school year. 

“It has worked great,” Whaley said. “The number of weapons that we confiscated went down, significantly and we’re still seeing a good pace of the system preventing and catching things that may come through.”

Whaley emphasized that the system is only one part of a comprehensive safety approach that includes people, processes and products working together.

“We understood [the FTC settlement] wasn’t about whether the system works or not,” Whaley said of the FTC lawsuit. “It was about what was used in the advertising, and that has nothing to do with the system being in place and keeping the students safe.”

Gwinnett County Schools discussed the technology’s effectiveness in February as they considered a broader implementation.

“It had been in the news of late regarding, I think two separate incidents where knives made it through the detectors into the school and resulted in stabbings,” Dr. Adrienne Simmons said. “How are we researching to ensure that this is the best path forward for us at GCPS in light of some of the recent discoveries that have been shared in the media?”

Gwinnett County Schools Chief of Police Tony Lockard replied with confidence in the technology, after a year of testing it at sporting events. At the time, they district told 11Alive they “had found no deficiencies that raise concerns, nor are there any known instances of the devices failing to detect a weapon.”

“We think that’s the best solution out there right now for what they have, for their track record for current clients that use the product and so forth,” he said. “This device is used to find weapons of mass destruction: specifically firearms, handguns, pistols, rifles, shotguns, pipe bombs, any type of pressure cooker device, something like that that was used at the Boston Marathon. The main purpose is not to find knives.”

Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is aware of the Federal Trade Commission’s settlement with Evolv. The technology has worked to our satisfaction in helping to keep our campuses, students and employees safe (no firearms have been missed). The district spent $3,899,201.18 on Evolv technology, which is just one part of our multi-layered approach to school safety.

Additionally, we constantly remind our parents and the community that school safety is everyone’s responsibility, and that no one program or initiative is perfect. We plan to continue using Evolv technology and our other security tools, protocols, and techniques to keep our schools as safe as possible.

Cobb County Schools
Evolv is one of the many layers of protection that support our robust safety and security plans detailed on Cobb Shield. We are committed to continuously strengthening our security measures, ensuring our schools remain among the safest and most secure places in the community.

Gwinnett County Schools
The safety and security of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) students and staff are the district’s top priorities. GCPS began using Evolv detectors at high school athletic events in late September 2024. The district was aware of the Federal Trade Commission’s settlement order with Evolv Technologies prior to purchasing the devices and fully understands their limitations. In the five months since implementation, GCPS has found no deficiencies that raise concerns, nor are there any known instances of the devices failing to detect a weapon. The district is pleased with the product. That said, GCPS understands that no single solution can ensure a safe, secure, and welcoming learning environment. This is why the district employs a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to school safety which includes, among other things:

• 117 School Resource Officers
• Centegix Crisis Alert System
• More than 12,000 Cameras
• Security Vestibules
• Raptor System (screens all adult visitors against the National Sex Offender Registry)
• Safety Drills
• GCPS Tips App
• Reinforcing the “See Something, Say Something” culture

GCPS remains committed to maintaining safe and secure schools and will continue to prioritize the well-being of every student and staff member.