AI-powered weapon scanners fail pilot program in New York City subways

According to officials, nearly 2,800 total scans took place, with 118 false alarms.

Marissa Santorelli

Oct 25, 2024, 11:03 AM

Updated 2 hr ago

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The NYPD confirmed the AI-powered weapon scanners detected zero guns in the 30-day pilot program.
According to officials, nearly 2,800 total scans took place, with 118 false alarms. That is a false positive rate of 4.29%.
While no guns were detected, the NYPD noted that the scanners found 12 knives. They have yet to confirm if the knives were classified as weapons or tools to determine if they were criminal in nature.
In July, Mayor Eric Adams announced a rollout of E-Volve AI-powered weapons scanners.
Officials say 20 select subway stations would house the technology in an effort to keep guns out of the subways.
Some riders said they felt safer with this initiative, but others said it was an invasion of privacy.
The Legal Aid Society called the program a failure, issuing a statement on Wednesday:
"Given this failed pilot, all the other overwhelming evidence against using Evolv’s weapons detectors, and the surrounding controversies, including lawsuits and various investigations, we hope that this ill-conceived, fraught, and unwanted idea is finally shelved for good.”
In statement, a City Hall spokesperson said:
"Public safety and justice are the prerequisites to prosperity, and as our administration continues to look for ways to keep weapons off our subways, the NYPD’s pilot with Evolv helped serve as a deterrent to criminals and keep New Yorkers safe. At this time, the NYPD is still evaluating the results of the pilot and has not entered into any contract or commitments with the vendor."