SCHOOL SHOOTING?
"NIGHTLINE'S" ASHAN SINGH GOT A
CLOSER LOOK.
>> AS A PARENT, I WOULD DO
EVERYTHING I COULD DO TO KEEP MY
OWN CHILDREN SAFE.
IN THE ROLE OF SUPERINTENDENT,
IT'S THAT MUCH GREATER A
RESPONSIBILITY.
>> Reporter: LIKE SO MANY SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATORS IN AMERICA, SCOTT
McCARTNEY'S GREATEST FEAR IS A
SHOOTER ON HIS CAMPUS.
>> I CAN REMEMBER HAVING THE
TALK WITH MY STAFF ABOUT
COLUMBINE.
NOW HAVING TO HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION ABOUT JUST THE
UNTHINKABLE, THE UNIMAGINABLE,
IN SCHOOLS.
>> Reporter: TODAY, McCARTNEY
OPENED HIS SCHOOL TO LET US SEE
WHAT HE HOPES IS A SOLUTION TO
THE INTRACTABLE PROBLEM.
HIS DISTRICT PARTNERED WITH ZERO
ADS THAT USES ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE IN CONJUNCTION WITH
EXPERT ANALYSTS TO SCAN SCHOOL
SECURITY CAMERAS FOR ANYONE
CARRYING A GUN.
A WARNING, WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO
SEE IS A DEMONSTRATION.
THIS IS A FAKE GUNMAN
BRANDISHING HIS WEAPON.
HERE'S WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE FROM
THE SECURITY CAMERAS.
>> ALERT AT OCEAN CITY HIGH
SCHOOL --
>> Reporter: WITHIN MOMENTS THE
A.I. DETECTS THE GUNS AND SENDS
A SCREEN SHOT BACK TO ZERO EYES
HEADQUARTERS IN PENNSYLVANIA,
STAFFED 24/7/365 DAYS A YEAR,
READY TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT
A THREAT IS REAL.
>> TRUE POSITIVE AT OCEAN CITY
HIGH SCHOOL.
>> DISPATCH ALERT, CALL IN POINT
OF CONTACT.
>> HE'LL ROW, THIS IS ZERO EYES,
VERIFYING YOU RECEIVED THE
ALERT?
COPY, LAW ENFORCEMENT IS EN
ROUTE.
>> Reporter: TOTAL, THIS ALERT,
FROM A.I. DETECTION TO
CONTACTING LAW ENFORCEMENT TAKES
LESS THAN 30 SECONDS, ACCORDING
TO ZERO EYES.
ALL THE WHILE, A.I. KEEPS
SENDING BACK UPDATED SCREEN
SHOTS OF WHERE THE SHOOTER'S
MOVING.
THIS DEMONSTRATION, A REALITY
FOR TOO MANY.
THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 385
SHOOTINGS IN SCHOOLS SINCE 1999.
IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR, 28
ALREADY.
IT'S BECOME AMERICA'S RECURRING
TRAGEDY.
>> PERHAPS NOW AMERICA WOULD
WAKE UP TO THE DIMENSIONS OF
THIS CHALLENGE.
>> IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE SENSE
OF SUCH VIOLENCE AND SUFFERING.
>> THE MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO
DIED TODAY WERE CHILDREN.
BEAUTIFUL LITTLE KIDS BETWEEN
THE AGES OF 5 AND 10 YEARS OLD.
>> NO CHILD, NO TEACHER, SHOULD
EVER BE IN DANGER IN AN AMERICAN
SCHOOL.
>> THE IDEA THAT AN 18-YEAR-OLD
KID CAN WALK INTO A GUN STORE
AND BUY TWO ASSAULT WEAPONS IS
JUST WRONG.
>> Reporter: WITH DECADES OF
FAILED ATTEMPTS AT GUN REFORM,
SOME ARE DESPERATE FOR ALTERNATE
SOLUTIONS.
>> AFTER THE PARKLAND SCHOOL
SHOOTING, MY OLDEST DAUGHTER HAD
TO GO THROUGH HER FIRST ACTIVE
SHOOTER DRILL.
SHE CAME HOME UPSET.
"ARE THEY GOING TO COME SHOOT MY
SCHOOL?"
>> MICHAEL, A FATHER, VETERAN,
AND CEO AND COFOUNDER OF ZERO
EYES, THE COMPANY McCARTNEY IS
USING IN HIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> 15 TIMES MORE PEOPLE DIE FROM
GUN VIOLENCE IN A GIVEN YEAR
THAN FIRES IN A BUILDING, YET
EVERY BUILDING YOU WALK INTO IS
GOING TO HAVE A SMOKE DETECTOR,
FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM.
IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE PROACTIVE
SOLUTIONS FOR ACTIVE SHOOTERS,
MASS SHOOTINGS, GUN VIOLENCE.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS IT'S
EXPERTLY TRAINED EYES OF HIS
STAFF THAT ARE KEY TO
INTERPRETING WHAT A.I. SPOTS,
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OPEN CARRY
LAWS.
>> WE DON'T WANT OUR CLIENTS TO
RECEIVE FALSE ALARMS.
ONCE THEY VERIFY IT'S A REAL
GUN, THEY HIT DISPATCH.
IT GOES TO OUR CLIENT, TO THE
MOBILE APP, DESKTOP
NOTIFICATION, PUTS IT ON A MAP.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE PERSON IN
THE PARKING LOT OR THE
STAIRWELL, MESSING WITH A GUN,
THE BAD ACTOR.
>> Reporter: THE COMPANY SAYS IT
WILL NOTIFY A CLIENT IF A
SECURITY CAMERA IS DOWN AND IT'S
NEVER SENT A FALSE POSITIVE.
>> IT'S ACTUALLY JUST ABOUT THE
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
DETECTING WHAT APPEARS TO LOOK
LIKE OR BE IN THE SHAPE OF A
WEAPON, FOCUS ON THE OBJECTS.
WE'RE NOT COLLECTING BIOMETRIC
DATA, FACES, NAMES, ANY OF THAT.
IT'S JUST LOOKING FOR AN OBJECT,
LOOKING FOR A GUN.
>> Reporter: HE AND HIS
COFOUNDERS, MOSTLY ALL FORMER
NAVY S.E.A.L.s, FOUNDED ZERO
EYES IN 2018.
THEY SAY THEY'RE NOW WORKING
WITH HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A MASSIVE GREEN
SCREEN.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
>> Reporter: ZERO EYES BUILT A
GREEN SCREEN LAB TO TRAIN THEIR
A.I.
IT HAS HUNDREDS OF SECURITY
CAMERAS FROM DIFFERENT
MANUFACTURERS WITH VARYING
ANGLES.
>> SO WE COULD CHANGE THE
BACKGROUNDS, THEN WE CAN BRING
IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GUNS.
MAKE IT VERY EASY.
CREATE MORE AND MORE DATA, WHICH
IS VERY IMPORTANT.
>> Reporter: THEY ALSO HAVE AN
ARMORY OF FAKE GUNS TO HELP
REFINE WHAT A.I. CAN DETECT.
>> A TON OF DIFFERENT PISTOLS,
RIFLES.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS ZERO EYES
SHOULD JUST BE ONE LAYER OF
SECURITY THAT THEIR GOAL IS BUY
TIME FOR THE FIRST RESPONDERS
AND PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
>> WE'RE NOT THE MAGIC CURE-ALL
FOR THIS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOOD SECURITY
IN LAYERS.
>> Reporter: IN ADDITION TO
SCHOOLS, ZEROEYES IS BEING USED
BY HUNDREDS OF CLIENTS IN MORE
THAN 35 STATES, INCLUDING LOCAL
AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS, AS WELL
AS TOURIST DESTINATIONS LIKE
CHICAGO'S NAVY PIER.
>> SO OBVIOUSLY WE'RE A BIG
PUBLIC SPACE.
WE BRING UP TO 9 MILLION PEOPLE
A YEAR.
>> Reporter: BRIAN MURPHY IS THE
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE
NAVY PIER.
HE'S ALSO A FORMER CHIEF IN THE
CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
NAVY PIER IS MASSIVE.
IT'S 50 ACRES AND INCLUDES OVER
70 SMALL BUSINESSES AS WELL.
>> A HUMAN CAN'T SIMPLY WATCH
CAMERAS, AS MANY AS WE HAVE.
WE HAVE 498 CAMERAS ON THIS
SPACE.
>> Reporter: ZEROEYES HAS BEEN
IN PLACE ALMOST A YEAR, HAS NOT
YET RECEIVED A LEGAL DETECTION,
BUT THE SYSTEM HAS CAUGHT
NONLETHAL SYSTEMS FLAGGED FOR
AWARENESS.
>> MEMORIAL WEEKEND, A LOT OF
LAW ENFORCEMENT HELPING US
THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
AS ONE OF THE OFFICERS WAS
PREPARING, TAKING OUT THEIR
WEAPON FROM THE TRUNK, TWO
DIFFERENT CAMERAS WITHIN THAT
SPACE CAPTURED THAT IMAGE, DREW
THAT RED BOX AROUND IT,
IMMEDIATELY SENT IT TO THEIR
OPERATIONS CENTER.
THEY QUICKLY DETERMINED IT LOOKS
LIKE A CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER,
SENT IT BACK TO US AS A
NONLETHAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
DETECTION.
>> Reporter: ANOTHER INSTANCE,
THERE WAS AN ON-DUTY COAST GUARD
OFFICER DETECTED AS A NONLETHAL
THREAT.
ANOTHER WHEN OFF-DUTY OFFICER
WAS PUTTING ON HIS GUN BELT AT
NIGHT.
>> I'D SAY SO FAR THIS YEAR,
WE'VE PROBABLY HAD 20
INDICATIONS.
ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN EITHER
NONLETHAL OR LAW ENFORCEMENT,
WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
BUT AT LEAST WE KNOW IT'S
WORKING, RIGHT?
IT'S NOT JUST SITTING PASSIVE,
IT'S TELLING US WHAT IT'S
SPOTTING AND WE'RE CONFIRMING
THAT HERE ON LOCATION.
>> Reporter: EVEN WITH ZEROEYES'
HUMAN CONFIRMATION, THERE ARE
GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT USING
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN
PUBLIC AND SCHOOL SETTINGS.
>> IF IT WORKS RIGHT, IT CAN
HELP SAVE LIVES.
IF IT DOESN'T WORK RIGHT, IT
COULD ACTUALLY BE A DISTRACTION
TO RESPONSE EFFORTS.
THAT CAN MEAN MORE LIVES LOST.
>> Reporter: ACLU HAS CRITICIZED
A.I. TECHNOLOGY GENERALLY FOR
PROGRAMMING RACIAL BIASES INTO
SYSTEMS, ESPECIALLY WITH FACIAL
RECOGNITION.
>> ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS
ONLY AS GOOD AS THE DATA THAT IS
USED TO TEACH THE MACHINE ABOUT
A SPECIFIC TOPIC.
IF THE DATA COMING INTO THE
COMPUTER THAT'S USING ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE IS FLAWED OR
INCOMPLETE, THE JUDGMENTS AND
THE ANALYSIS CREATED BY THE
COMPUTER WILL BE FLAWED OR
INCOMPLETE AS WELL.
>> Reporter: TAXPAYERS ARE OFTEN
FOOTING THE BILL FOR A.I. GUN
DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH
GOVERNMENT BUDGETS.
BUT THERE'S RELATIVELY LITTLE
DATA ON HOW WELL THEY WORK.
ZEROEYES SAYS IT COMPLIES AND
HAS BEEN CERTIFIED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
SAFETY ACT, BUT IN GENERAL
THERE'S LITTLE RECOGNITION OF
THE BURG NOOELG NING MARKET.
FTC WARNING A.I. COMPANIES TO
KEEP THEIR PERFORMANCE CLAIMS IN
CHECK.
>> IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC
TO KNOW IN TERMS OF MASS SHOOT
ACTIONS, WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN A
RISE.
>> Reporter: OTIS JOHNSON JR. IS
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE
JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR SAFE
AND HEALTHY SCHOOLS.
>> A QUESTION OF ZEROEYES BEING
A SOLUTION I THINK IS, AGAIN,
CONTINGENT ON HOW YOU DEFINE
SOLUTION.
IF YOU THINK IT'S PREVENTION,
NO.
BUT IF YOU THINK IT'S SOMETHING
THAT CAN REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF
A CRISIS, DEFINITELY.
>> Reporter: FOR PROFESSOR
JOHNSON, THERE'S REALLY ONLY ONE
SOLUTION TO AMERICA'S MASS
SHOOTING PROBLEM.
>> COMPREHENSIVE GUN SAFETY
POLICY.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A
REPLACEMENT FOR THAT.
>> THE ONLY TIME OUR OPERATION
CENTERS ARE SEEING ANYTHING OFF
THE CAMERA IS WHEN IT THINKS IT
SEES A GUN, IT SPITS OUT THAT
ONE KEY FRAME IMAGE FROM THAT.
THEN WE DON'T STORE THAT RECORD
THE VIDEOS, KEEP THE VIDEOS.
>> DO YOU HAVE NUMBERS ON ANY
INSTANCES OF ACTIVE SHOOTINGS
ACTUALLY STOPPED?
>> IT HASN'T BEEN THAT NEFARIOUS
ACTOR IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT
WITH THEIR MANIFESTO, WAITING TO
CAUSE HARM.
WE HAVEN'T STOPPED THAT PERSON
YET.
>> I DON'T THINK ANYBODY SHOULD
QUESTION OR BE FEARFUL OF AN
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAM
THAT'S GOING TO IDENTIFY AN
IMMEDIATE, IMINNOCENT THREAT OF
SOMEONE BEING SHOT OR KILLED.
YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE TAG ON
SAVING A LIFE.
>> Reporter: JAY PRETTYMAN IS
THE POLICE CHIEF IN OCEAN CITY.
HE SAYS HE WAS ATTRACTED TO
ZEROEYES' PROMISE TO REDUCE LAW
ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TIME.
HE ASKED THE CITY COUNCIL TO
ADOPT THE TECHNOLOGY AT THE
OCEAN CITY BOARDWALK 2 HOPING IT
WILL CLARIFY INFORMATION FROM
911 CALLS.
>> IT TAKES CLOSE TO THREE
MINUTES BEFORE OUR CALL-TAKERS
FEEL THAT THEY HAVE ENOUGH
INFORMATION TO CONFIDENTLY
DISPATCH TO A DANGER ZONE.
WHAT ZEROEYES PRESENTS IS A
SHORTENING OR COLLAPSING OF THAT
TIME PERIOD.
>> Reporter: FOR PRETTYMAN, IT'S
PERSONAL.
HE WAS FIRED ON AND LOST TWO
OFFICERS TO AN ACTIVE SHOOTER
EARLY IN HIS CAREER.
>> THE SUSPECT WAS SHOOTING AT
US WITH AN AK-47.
CERTAINLY WORST DAY OF MY
CAREER, WATCHING FRIENDS OF MINE
DIE.
BUT IT HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THAT
COMPLACENCY KILLS.
AND YOU CAN'T STOP EVIL.
YOU HAVE TO DO THE BEST YOU CAN
TO PREVENT WHERE IT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN AND BE PREPARED TO
RESPON