US Homeland Security Deploys AI: Startup ZeroEyes Prevents Terrorist Attacks and School Shootings

The United States is plagued by a constant stream of terrorist attacks and shootings, but hopes are high that the latest AI gun detection system can provide advanced preemptive defense.

The United States is constantly facing a wave of terrorist attacks and shootings, but hopes to take proactive defense measures with the latest AI gun detection systems.

In the early morning of September 2nd this week, four passengers on a train in Chicago were indiscriminately shot and killed in their sleep by a gunman, the reason for the incident is still under investigation. This sudden shooting incident is just one of the many tragedies caused by the widespread availability of firearms in the United States every year.

In the past, gun rights advocates and gun control advocates in the United States have been at odds. There is a saying that buying a gun in the United States is easier than buying cigarettes. The main reason is that the U.S. Constitution explicitly guarantees the right of the people to bear arms. However, with deteriorating public safety and continuous school shootings and terrorist attacks, anti-gun advocates seem to have a louder voice now. The well-known gun rights organization National Rifle Association of America, abbreviated as NRA, is a mysterious organization believed to manipulate U.S. finance and politics, with major donors and funding, whose members are among the most influential people in the United States. They have even been accused of influencing U.S. presidential elections, and Trump has actively sought NRA support for his campaigns. The majority of public opinion holds that the NRA is the instigator of the proliferation of firearms, fueling violent behavior. The president of the NRA, Wayne LaPierre, was fined $4.3 million earlier this year by a New York court for corruption.

The right to bear arms is protected by the U.S. Constitution and cannot be banned. Faced with the incessant occurrence of sudden shooting incidents and terrorist attacks, there are now technological solutions to break the deadlock between gun advocates and gun control advocates. A new AI startup company, ZeroEyes, founded by a group of retired military personnel with special operations and intelligence backgrounds, has been a contractor for the National Security Agency and the U.S. Navy. They have now expanded their applications to campus security and railway facilities.

CBS reported that following the train shooting tragedy this week, the Chicago Transit Authority is attempting to install ZeroEyes' AI gun detection system on the L train for proactive detection and review of potential shooting incidents.

The ZeroEyes artificial intelligence system can be integrated into existing network surveillance systems for further AI analysis. The system works by capturing images to a database, where humans monitor the footage and AI analyzes the images to identify objects that may resemble guns and then target suspects who may be carrying firearms for investigation. Unlike other systems that focus on facial recognition, ZeroEyes' system distinguishes "guns" from "faces" and can identify the appearance, model, and size of firearms.Chicago Navy Pier has been using this system for two years as a fundamental measure for naval defense, detecting various objects that may be firearms.

AI gun detection systems are also being installed in New York State high school campuses. Campus security can detect what type of weapon a suspect is carrying before they enter the campus, and the system will determine whether it is a weapon. If identified as a weapon, it will alert law enforcement within 16 seconds. Schools state that this system makes parents feel more at ease sending their children to school.

The United States, as a country that values human rights, facial recognition for identifying criminal suspects may lead to wrongful arrests and discrimination debates, while using AI to identify gun objects can quickly catch criminals and evidence, a practice worth emulating in Taiwan.