'ZeroEyes' using AI to detect guns in schools, alert authorities
New AI gun detection system will alert authorities if a gun is identified in schools
A Conshohocken company created AI gun detection system, ZeroEyes which will alert authorities if a gun is identified in schools. FOX 29's Greg Payne gets the details on how it works and what it means for school safety.
Conshohocken, Pa - The topic of Artificial Intelligence can be very controversial, but when it comes to the safety of kids, not so much.
A Conshohocken group created an AI gun detection system, ZeroEyes which will alert authorities if a gun is identified in schools.
FOX 29's Greg Payne gets the details on how it works and what it means for school safety.
"We are trying to bring in veterans, teach them IT, bring them up and this is a later position in their career," said Rob Huberty, the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of ZeroEyes.
Huberty says nearly 80% of their staff are veterans.
"We all worked at big companies, at jobs that were seemingly good jobs, but it lacked that purpose, that mission that we had in the military," said Huberty.
Their purpose and mission goes back to their roots…protecting and serving.
"The AI just decides if something is a gun, sends us an image, and then we verify whether it is or not," said Huberty.
The 24/7, 365 day operation uses AI technology to detect guns, preexisting cameras at malls, stores, commercial buildings, and schools all across the country and veterans use their experience to determine whether the threat is real or not, and in seconds they notify security.
"There’s very few things in this world that are more devastating than seeing mass shootings in the United States. It’s embarrassing. We hear people say never again, but what do you do," he said.
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ZeroEyes is already helping some local schools answer that question.
"The goal is to stop the incident before it happens, but if it happens, to slow it down," said Greg Keenan, the Director of Security at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington.
He says the ZeroEyes system was installed before this school year and believes it’s an additional tool to help them achieve that goal.
"I look at it as a huge force multiplier for us because, basically, now I have human eyes watching every one of my cameras 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in addition to my security staff," said Keenan.
It's a sense of security and piece of mind that ZeroEyes wants people to have.
Hubert says over the years their technology has helped make arrests and even potentially saved lives.
"There’s a lot of opportunities to catch this person before they ever fire a shot. Ideally, we want to prevent everything, but we are one extra layer of security, we give that situational awareness to be proactive rather than reactive," said Huberty.