Daijiworld Media Network – Maryland

Maryland, Oct 27: In a bizarre incident, police in Baltimore County detained a school student after an artificial intelligence (AI) security system mistakenly identified his bag of Doritos as a firearm, The Guardian reported.

The student, identified as Taki Allen, was eating snacks with his friends outside Kenwood High School on Monday night when the AI-powered system, developed by Omnilert, flagged his chip bag as a possible weapon. The alert prompted school officials and police to rush to the scene, where officers approached Allen with guns drawn and ordered him to get on the ground.

"At first, I didn’t know where they were going until they started walking toward me with guns, talking about, ‘Get on the ground,’ and I was like, ‘What?’" Allen told WBAL-TV 11 News.

Allen was handcuffed and searched, but officers found no weapon. Upon reviewing the footage, police discovered that the system had likely mistaken the crumpled snack bag for a gun. "I was just holding a Doritos bag – it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun," Allen said.

The incident has sparked serious concerns about the reliability of AI surveillance systems and the dangers of false alerts in schools.

The school administration later issued an apology to Allen and other students who witnessed the event. “We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched as well as the other students who witnessed the incident,” the school said in a letter to parents.

School authorities also confirmed that counsellors will be available to support affected students.

Omnilert, the company behind the AI system, expressed regret over the incident. “We regret this incident occurred and wish to convey our concern to the student and the wider community affected by the events that followed,” the company said in a statement to BBC News.