Balancing safety and privacy: NYC subways to test AI weapons detection

[ERIC ADAMS]

“THIS IS A SPUTNIK MOMENT, WHEN PRESIDENT KENNEDY SAID WE WERE GONNA PUT A MAN ON THE MOON, AND EVERYONE RESPONDED. WELL, TODAY WE SAID WE’RE GOING TO BRING TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN IDENTIFY GUNS AND OTHER DANGEROUS WEAPONS, AND OUR PRIVATE INDUSTRY RESPONDED.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

NEW YORK CITY WILL SOON BEGIN TESTING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO HELP DETECT GUNS AND OTHER WEAPONS AT SUBWAY TURNSTILES.

BUT WITH THE TECHNOLOGY COMES INCREASED SCRUTINY OF ETHICS AND ACCURACY. 

EVOLV, THE COMPANY THE CITY IS PARTNERING WITH, REPORTEDLY HAS ISSUES WITH ITS DETECTION SYSTEMS, WHICH RANGE FROM MISIDENTIFYING UMBRELLAS AS WEAPONS TO FAILING TO DETECT STEEL AND ALUMINUM TUBES FASHIONED LIKE GUN BARRELS.

EVOLV’S AI ALSO REPORTEDLY MISSED KNIVES IN STUDENTS’ POCKETS AT SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND MISTOOK BACKPACKS AND LUNCHBOXES FOR BOMBS.

WITH MISIDENTIFICATION ALSO COMES RISK, ACCORDING TO A LEGAL EXPERT WHO SPOKE WITH LOCAL STATION FOX 5. 

[ JEROME GRECO]

WE’RE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH FALSE POSITIVES. PEOPLE BEING FALSELY IDENTIFIED AS HAVING A WEAPON, CAUSING LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE AFRAID AND POSSIBLY REACT IN A WAY THAT COUD GET THEMSELVES HURT AND ALSO THE INDIVIDUAL HURT.

[KARAH RUCKER]

A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED BY INVESTORS ALSO CLAIMS EVOLV “MISREPRESENTED THE EFFICACY OF ITS PRODUCTS AND DECEIVED THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CUSTOMERS AND INVESTORS.”

AND AS NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS EMBRACES THE TECHNOLOGY, SOME SAY THE MAYOR’S PARTNERSHIP WITH EVOLV RAISES QUESTIONS.

SOME OF ADAM’S TOP DONORS REPORTEDLY HAVE INVESTED HEAVILY IN THE COMPANY.

DESPITE CRITICS, MAYOR ADAMS MAINTAINS THE TECH WILL BE USED WITHIN THE LAW, BALANCING PRIVACY WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.

THE TESTING WILL BEGIN IN AROUND THREE MONTHS. 

THE 90 DAY WAITING PERIOD IS REQUIRED AS PART OF THE POST ACT, WHICH REQUIRES THE NYPD TO DISCLOSE THE USE OF SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY, AND REPORT ON ITS IMPACT AND USE BEFORE IT IS DEPLOYED.

EVENTUALLY BODY SCANNERS WILL BE AT SUBWAY STATIONS. HOWEVER, THE EXACT NUMBER AND LOCATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN DISCLOSED. THE SCANNERS USE “ADVANCED SENSOR TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WEAPONS AND EVERYDAY ITEMS,” ACCORDING TO EVOLV’S WEBSITE.

AI WEAPONS DETECTION IS ALREADY USED AT POPULAR NEW YORK CITY VENUES, INCLUDING CITI FIELD, THE LINCOLN CENTER, AND THE METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY MAYOR ADAMS COMES LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER A SHOOTING ON A SUBWAY, AND MULTIPLE STABBINGS IN RECENT DAYS WITHIN THE SUBWAY SYSTEM.  ON MONDAY, ADAMS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CRACKDOWN ON SUBWAY VIOLENCE BY SENDING AT LEAST 800 POLICE OFFICERS TO MONITOR TURNSTILES. HOURS AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT, A MAN DIED AFTER BEING SHOVED ONTO THE SUBWAY TRACKS AND STRUCK BY A TRAIN IN EAST HARLEM. 

DESPITE THE NOTABLE INCIDENTS, CRIME IS REPORTEDLY DOWN IN THE NYC SUBWAY SYSTEM IN MARCH. STILL, ADAMS CONTENDS THE USE OF A-I IS NECESSARY TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.

[ERIC ADAMS]

AND I SAY TO THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID OF SCANNERS AND RATHER NOT WALK THROUGH IT, I’D RATHER YOU BE SAFE, SO LET’S BRING ON THE SCANNERS. WE ARE TAKING A HUGE STEP TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

ADAMS ALSO SAID THE CITY WILL HIRE MORE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS TO WORK WITH POLICE TO MOVE PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS OUT OF THE SUBWAY SYSTEM AND “INTO CARE.”