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ZeroEyes uses AI and security cameras to detect guns in public and private spaces
Summary
ZeroEyes is a company that uses AI and security cameras to detect guns in public and private spaces before shootings take place. It has been adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense, public K-12 school districts, colleges/universities, healthcare facilities, commercial property groups, manufacturing plants, Fortune 500 corporate campuses, shopping malls, big-box retail stores, and more. The company has a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Safety Act Designation and was deployed across nine Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises properties. The AI-based visual gun detection and situational awareness platform was developed using hundreds of thousands of proprietary images and videos, and layers advanced machine learning over existing digital security cameras. The way to describe its AI detection is that if a human was looking at a security camera and could detect a gun, then its AI would be able to pick up the same gun. Once the AI detects a potential gun, the image is flagged to the operations center, where staff assesses the frame and determines if it is a positive threat. The technology is in no way intended to be a replacement for humans, but the reality is that there aren’t enough people in law enforcement or security to cover the 100 million security cameras currently deployed in the U.S. alone. The company has detected hundreds of guns to date, and it believes that eventually every camera in the world will have gun detection software.
Q&As
What is ZeroEyes and how does it use AI and security cameras to detect guns?
ZeroEyes uses AI and security cameras to detect guns in public and private spaces. It combines the automated detection of gun-like objects with video analysis by human experts before it sends an emergency message to the place where a shooter might be present — before shootings take place.
How has ZeroEyes been used at the River Spirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma?
ZeroEyes has been deployed across nine Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises properties, following a successful implementation at River Spirit Casino, the organization’s flagship location, in October 2022. It has been adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense, public K-12 school districts, colleges/universities, healthcare facilities, commercial property groups, manufacturing plants, Fortune 500 corporate campuses, shopping malls, big-box retail stores, and more.
What is the internal research of ZeroEyes regarding casino shootings from 2017-2023?
ZeroEyes has been compiling proprietary data based on an internal study of casino shootings from 2017 to 2023. Based on 100 shootings during that time, it found that 40% of the time the shooter was able to escape. This usually means that security didn’t immediately know the identity of the shooter and where the incident took place. It also means that responding officers didn’t know who they were looking for and this gave the perpetrator time to evade arrest. While a common misconception is that most shootings happen inside businesses and public venues, less than 50% of shootings at casinos happened inside the building.
How does ZeroEyes' technology work?
ZeroEyes is a proactive visual gun detection and situational awareness software platform based on computer vision and advanced machine learning AI. It is layered on existing digital security cameras at schools, businesses, gaming facilities, healthcare facilities and government offices. Once the AI detects a potential gun, the image is flagged to the operations center, where staff assesses the frame and determines if it is a positive threat. The staff is primarily military and law enforcement veterans, often those who served in special forces units. They have been specially trained in previous lines of work to understand and identify guns, as well as remain calm and collected during stressful situations. This is the type of expertise and background required to ensure each alert is thoroughly examined within seconds.
What is the origin story of ZeroEyes and how has it spread across the US?
Alaimo met cofounders such as CEO Mike Lahiff in the SEAL teams around 2007. They did deployments together and transition out of the military in 2013. In 2018, the Parkland shooting happened. Lahiff picked up his daughter one day from school and she had just finished doing an active shooter drill. They found that newer digital security cameras had better resolution and could discern the shape of a gun at a distance. Today,
AI Comments
👍 It's amazing that ZeroEyes is able to use AI and security cameras to detect guns in public and private spaces, ultimately saving lives. It's inspiring to hear how the company is working hard to ensure everyone is safe in their respective spaces.
👎 It's concerning that ZeroEyes is using AI and security cameras to detect guns, as it could easily be used for facial recognition and other invasive purposes. It's important to maintain the privacy of citizens while implementing necessary security measures.
AI Discussion
Me: It's about ZeroEyes, a company that uses AI and security cameras to detect guns in public and private spaces. They've been rolling out the gun detection video analytics service since 2022 and it has proven its worth in cases where shooters brandish weapons. It's been adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense, public K-12 school districts, colleges/universities, healthcare facilities, commercial property groups, manufacturing plants, Fortune 500 corporate campuses, shopping malls, big-box retail stores, and more.
Friend: Wow, that's really interesting. What implications does this have?
Me: Well, this technology has the potential to drastically reduce response time to active shooter events, giving first responders more time to act and potentially save lives. It also could mean that people in public and private spaces will feel safer, as they can be alerted more quickly if someone is armed. On the other hand, there are some privacy concerns that come with using AI and security cameras to detect guns. People may be hesitant to have their public spaces monitored in this way, and there could be ethical issues with the use of facial recognition technology.
Action items
- Register for VB Transform 2023 On-Demand to view sessions from the event.
- Research ZeroEyes and other AI-based visual gun detection technologies to understand how they work and the potential benefits they can provide.
- Reach out to local schools, businesses, gaming facilities, healthcare facilities, and government offices to inquire about their security measures and whether they have implemented AI-based visual gun detection technologies.
Technical terms
- AI
- Artificial Intelligence. AI is a type of computer technology that is designed to simulate human intelligence and behavior.
- ZeroEyes
- A company that uses AI and security cameras to detect guns in public and private spaces.
- VB Transform 2023
- A virtual event hosted by VentureBeat that focuses on the latest trends in technology and business.
- Department of Homeland Security Safety Act Designation
- A designation given by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to companies that have met certain criteria for providing security services.
- Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises
- A Native American-owned gaming enterprise in Oklahoma.
- River Spirit Casino
- The flagship location of the Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises.
- Department of Defense
- The federal department responsible for coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the United States armed forces.
- K-12
- A term used to refer to the education system from kindergarten through 12th grade.
- Fortune 500
- A list of the 500 largest companies in the United States, based on their total revenue.
- Big-box retail stores
- Large retail stores that typically sell a wide variety of products.
- Computer vision
- A field of computer science that deals with how computers can be made to gain high-level understanding from digital images or videos.
- Advanced machine learning AI
- A type of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms to learn from data and make predictions.
- Off-the-shelf PCs
- Pre-built computers that are available for purchase.
- Centralized processing units
- A type of computer processor that is designed to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Graphics processing units
- A type of computer processor that is designed to handle graphics-intensive tasks.
- Green screens
- A type of backdrop used in filmmaking and photography that is used to create a virtual background.
- Hollywood grade
- A term used to describe high-quality production values.
- Biometric data
- Data that is used to identify a person based on their physical or behavioral characteristics.
- Bootstrapped
- A term used to describe a business that is self-funded and does not rely on outside investors.
- Fog of war
- A term used to describe the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations.
- Proactive
- A term used to describe an action that is taken in anticipation of a future event or situation.
- Situational awareness
- The ability to identify, process, and comprehend