After what has been described as a spate of “lawlessness” on the subways of New York City this year, Mayor Eric Adams said today that artificial intelligence will be drafted to help cut down on the number of violent crimes.

Adams reportedly has spent some time looking around the world for the perfect AI system to detect guns, which will translate to a 90-day pilot program soon. This year has seen shootings and other acts of gun violence and general madness that are reminiscent of times past when the city was renowned as a leader in violent crime.

The increase in acts of violence has been quite dramatic, leading to the city deploying hundreds of National Guards. Many New Yorkers have said they don’t feel safe, some writing in the comments section of a New York Times article that the reported crimes are only the tip of the iceberg. The feeling among many is something needs to be done to make the subway safer,

Adams, who accepts there is a problem, is known to be a fan of technology, which might have inspired him to take this latest step toward AI. “Would I prefer us not having to walk through this to come on our system?” he said. “You’re darn right I do. But we have to live life the way it is and work to make it what it ought to be.”

The company he chose is Evolv Technologies Inc., a Massachusetts-based weapons detection firm that has been deploying its systems in schools and venues across the U.S. for quite some time now. Not only is the presence of such systems quite dystopian and depressing for some Americans, but Evolv has taken flak in the past for its technology either not working or giving false positives. Still, the company claims its software detects around 400 guns a day across the U.S.

At an investor conference in 2022, Evolv’s Chief Executive Peter George was asked if his company’s technology would have saved lives in the Uvalde school shooting. “The answer is when somebody goes through our system, and they have a concealed weapon or an open carry weapon, we’re gonna find it, period,” he replied. “We won’t miss it.” The Federal Trade Commission has since begun a probe into such claims.

The company says its machines might look like metal detectors, but it has explained that the AI scanners use “safe, ultra-low frequency, electromagnetic fields, and advanced sensors to detect concealed weapons.” The software detects “signatures” for what Evolv says are “all the guns, all the bombs, and all the large tactical knives” in the world.

There are plenty of critics of such surveillance, but Adams here is in a tight spot. The pilot will run in accordance with the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology Act, which asks that the New York City Police Department publish the impact of surveillance technologies.

Photo: Asael Peña/Unsplash