Illinois school district installs AI gun detection amid accuracy concerns

Oak Lawn High School District 229 in Illinois has installed an AI-powered gun detection system from Omnilert, a company specializing in school security technology, that monitors both inside and outside the school campus. The district received the technology through a three-year grant that covers the cost of the AI detection appliance, training, and technical support, with the system going live before students returned on August 13.

How it works: The Omnilert system integrates with existing security cameras to identify potential firearms using artificial intelligence.

• When the AI detects what appears to be a gun, it sends the data to a human expert for verification before contacting first responders.
• The system provides “detailed situational intelligence” to help first responders know exactly where to go and what type of threat they face.
• Superintendent Shahe Bagdasarian said facial recognition is not being used and that information gathered is kept confidential.

Why this matters: The installation comes as schools nationwide grapple with security concerns, though the effectiveness of AI gun detection remains contested.

• Oak Lawn was selected for Omnilert’s Secure Schools Grant Program, which prioritizes schools in high-risk areas or with limited resources.
• The district views it as a “noninvasive proactive security measure” that can detect firearms before they enter the building.
• Bagdasarian noted that “it just takes one situation” and emphasized the district’s preference for this technology over metal detectors, which can create a “prison-like atmosphere.”

Accuracy concerns: Critics point to significant limitations in AI gun detection systems that have emerged in real-world scenarios.

• A Nashville school district that invested $1 million in Omnilert’s system failed to detect a shooter’s gun earlier this year because it was too far from surveillance cameras.
• The ACLU’s Stephen Ragan, a policy and advocacy strategist focused on privacy and surveillance, warns that such systems are “subject to false alarms that could lead to negative interactions between students and law enforcement.”
• Ragan argues that “surveillance cameras themselves have not made kids safer in schools” and adding AI won’t solve the underlying problem.

What they’re saying: District leaders emphasize their commitment to comprehensive safety measures while privacy advocates call for different approaches.

• “We need money to try these things,” Bagdasarian said about applying for the grant.
• “District 229 has done a good job with school safety, but there’s always work to be done,” the superintendent added.
• ACLU’s Ragan counters that schools should “shift their focus away from AI and toward improving student outcomes.”

The bottom line: The district maintains other security measures including security officer patrols at limited entrances and locked classrooms, while avoiding traditional metal detectors.