A security company that sells AI Gun scanners costing US schools $3.7 million face question marks after their technology failed to detect a large number of knives, including two used in recent stabbings by students in Ohio and New York.
Evolv Technology was found to miss 42 percent of large knives in 24 runs, according to bbc.
The systems, which have been purchased by hundreds of schools across the country, use low-frequency waves to induce magnetization in passing metal objects.
In October of last year, youThe system was unable to detect a hunting knife that was smuggled into a school in Utica, New York, and used to stab Ehni Ler Htoo.
Earlier this month, Another school student in Columbus, Ohio, was left with multiple injuries after being attacked with a knife at a school.
The student is seen continuing to brandish the object in his hand in a stabbing motion as he wrestles with the victim.
The vicious attack took place at Proctor High School and was filmed by onlookers before being posted on social media showing the two in a heated fight.
Pictured: Proctor High School in Utica, New York, the scene of the brutal incident.
A violent fight broke out between two teenagers at Proctor High School and was filmed by onlookers.
The footage shows the student running towards his classmate, now identified as Ehni Ler Htoo, in the hallway at his school before he is seen lunging at him.
The attacker appears to be holding something in his hand as Htoo is heard repeatedly yelling that his attacker has a knife.
A crowd can then be seen to begin to form around the couple who continue to fight.
Members of the crowd can be heard pleading with the young attacker to “drop the knife.”
The 17-year-old student is seen continuing to brandish the object, later confirmed to be a knife, in a stabbing motion.
A male staff member can be seen approaching the couple before retrieving the knife from the attacker, saying, “Are you crazy?”
‘She stabbed the shit out of my hands,’ Htoo can be heard telling the male staff member.
Htoo suffered multiple stab wounds to his back and hands and was helped by school nursing staff before being taken to hospital.
Pictured: The knife used on Htoo during last October’s attack inside Proctor High School.
The school board had purchased Evolv scanners, shown here, but the knife made its way onto school property.
The Utica School Board had purchased Evolv’s gun-scanning systems for 13 of its schools and installed them over the past summer, including Proctor.
Brian Nolan, superintendent of Utica schools, said: ‘When we saw the horrible video, we all asked the same question. How did the student get the knife into the school?
He continued: ‘Through investigation it was determined that the Evolv Weapon Detection System was not designed to detect knives.
After removing the scanners from Proctor High, school officials replaced them with ten metal detectors, but they are still in operation at the remaining 12 schools in the district.
According to Nolan, three other knives have been found on students from other schools in the districts where Evolv is still in place, one of which was seven inches long. Another was a curved blade with finger holes, all of which had passed the scans.
In a similar incident earlier this month, A video surfaced of a student stabbing a classmate as he walked by.
The assailant, who has not been identified, can be seen pulling out a knife as his classmate approaches.
Shocking video showed the moment a student in a black hoodie stabbed one of his classmates at a high school in Columbus, Ohio.
The incident occurred at Mifflin High School in Columbus, Ohio, and captured footage shows a teenager in a black hoodie pulling a knife from his waistband and stabbing another student.
The Columbus City School District had already invested more than $3 million to implement 20 Evolv Express advanced weapons detection systems at its 17 high schools.
After the incident, the district said it would begin additional screening of student bags and layering them with the use of portable metal detectors and Evolv machines.
Officials said in a statement earlier this month: ‘The district remains committed to providing all buildings with a safe and secure learning environment.
“We will continue to explore all available measures to ensure the highest level of security.”
Conor Healy of IPVM, a company that analyzes security equipment, says that Evolv has exaggerated the actual effectiveness of its system.
told the BBC: ‘There is an epidemic of schools buying new technology based on bold marketing claims and then discovering that it has hidden flaws, often millions of dollars later.
‘Evolv is one of the worst offenders. School officials are not technical experts in gun detection, and companies like Evolv profit from their ignorance.’
Pictured: Evolv Technology CEO Peter George, who has defended the lack of details about how much the company has said about its technology.
Evolv detection system combines sensor technology with artificial intelligence
Rather than just detecting metal, Evolv says its scanner “combines powerful sensor technology with proven artificial intelligence” to detect weapons.
When the system detects a concealed weapon, such as knives or guns, it triggers an alert.
The company has publicly stated that its system is highly accurate and has previously boasted that its scanners can help create “gun-free zones.”
In a blog post by Evolv CEO Peter George, defends the lack of details about how much the firm has said about how the technology works.
He said: ‘Marketing gun detection security requires a delicate balance between educating stakeholders about new technologies and not providing bad actors with information they could use to do harm.
“So while public-facing marketing materials are intentionally non-specific, we communicate all aspects of the Evolv Express system, including limitations and capabilities, with the trusted security professionals of our customers, partners and prospects.”
DailyMail.com has reached out to Evolv Technology for comment.