A school locked down after AI flagged a gun. It was a clarinet

A Florida middle school went into lockdown after an AI system mistook a student's clarinet for a gun. Police rushed to Lawton Chiles Middle School expecting to find a shooter but later confirmed there was no threat. The student, dressed in a holiday-themed costume, held the clarinet in a way that triggered the alarm. ZeroEyes, the AI system's company, stood by its actions, stating it acted on a "better safe than sorry" principle.

The principal informed parents to discuss safety with their children, emphasizing that the incident involved the student "holding it as if it were a weapon." Critics argue AI tools like ZeroEyes, while costly, can cause undue stress and may not reliably enhance safety. Despite claims of detecting over 1,000 weapons, concerns about false positives linger, prompting experts to suggest schools might better invest in mental health services.