All That and a Bag of Chips

Should you worry about your teens eating junk food? Maybe not for the reasons you think. 

Try something for me. Go to Google. Search “bag of chips.” Look the responses in the All category. Now click on the News category. 

Did what you saw look something like this?

All:

News:

Yes, a bag of chips in Baltimore County made news around the world this week. 

Baltimore County school’s AI gun detection system mistook a bag of chips for a weapon, Kristen Griffith, Baltimore Banner

After football practice Monday night, Taki Allen chatted with friends outside Kenwood High School while munching on Cool Ranch Doritos. When he finished his snack he put the bag in his pocket. Minutes later, several police officers pulled up, pointed their guns at him and yelled for him to get on the ground, he said.

“Me?” he recalled thinking. “I was confused at the time.”

He put his hands in the air while following orders. Police handcuffed him, bent him over the hood of a police car, searched him and sat him on the curb, he said.

All they found was the Doritos bag, he said.

The false alarm was triggered by Baltimore County Public Schools’ AI-powered gun-detection system, Omnilert. Spokespersons for the company and the school district said the technology was working as intended to keep students and staff safe, and that they quickly realized no one was in danger on Monday.

So how did a student eating a snack end in a police search?

Good question. Right off the bat, I can think of two answers, 

1. Companies are selling AI systems like this to schools who are desperate to improve school safety but the fact is that these systems are nowhere near evolved enough to do what the companies say they do.

2. Good old lazy racism.

Was Howard County looking at a system like this in the last year or so? Or was it discussed in the State Legislature? I’ve been digging around this morning but I’m not finding the information I’m looking for. I definitely remember this being a topic of conversation locally.

I thought it was a terrible idea then and I still do. 

One respondent on Bluesky speaks my mind:

Today in the cyberpunk dystopia. As always, USA: We could have actual effective #GunControlNow. Instead of unwarranted mass surveillance as security theater.

When you think about what’s best for your teens, you should probably worry less about junk food and more about the junk technology that puts them in harm’s way - - all while pretending it’s for their own good. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Don’t forget our local markets today in Old Ellicott City and at Clarksville Commons! The season will be over before you know it.