Authorities at the Michigan State Capitol will deploy the use of artificial intelligence to detect any firearms in a bid to increase security amid a growing national wave of political threats and violence.
Beginning Monday, Michigan will be the first state Capitol in the nation to use the gun detection platform made by ZeroEyes, a Pennsylvania-based firm, the only AI-based gun detection video analytics platform with a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) SAFETY designation.
The Michigan Capitol Commission earlier this year approved a full indoor gun ban at the Capitol, with the exception of lawmakers with a concealed carry permit. Metal detectors were installed inside the building.
The ZeroEyes software will analyze footage from existing video cameras to identify brandished or otherwise drawn firearms. Openly carried weapons are still allowed on outside grounds.
If a gun is identified, images will be “immediately” reviewed by trained specialists at ZeroEyes, including military and law enforcement veterans, the company said Monday. If those specialists confirm a threat, they’ll send alerts and other “actionable intelligence” to Capitol police in a matter of seconds, according to the firm.
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ZeroEyes technology was also implemented at Oxford High School in the wake of a mass shooting there.
The Michigan Capitol Commission will be paying $3,000 per month for system.