Predict & Prevent® Podcast Episode 16: AI on Guard: Stopping Gun Violence Before It Starts

In an era where gun violence continues to plague American society, how one innovative technology company is stepping up to address this persistent challenge is the focus of “AI on Guard: Stopping Gun Violence Before It Starts,” the latest episode of the Predict & Prevent® podcast from The Institutes.

Host Pete Miller, CEO of The Institutes, talks with Timothy Fallon, VP of Strategic Initiatives at ZeroEyes, on how artificial intelligence and human verification are being combined to create proactive solutions for gun violence prevention.

Funded in the wake of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, ZeroEyes represents a significant advancement in threat detection technology. The company’s approach is particularly noteworthy for its three-step process: detection, verification, and alert.

Timothy Fallon, ZeroEyes

As Fallon explains, “We have developed a visual AI gun detection capability with a baked-in human-in-the-loop methodology … it saves time and saves lives.”

The scale of the problem is stark: According to statistics shared in the podcast, 55,000 people in the United States were killed or wounded by firearms last year, with 35 fatalities and 123 injuries occurring on K-12 campuses alone during the 2023-24 academic year.

ZeroEyes’ response to this crisis demonstrates how technology can be deployed responsibly and effectively. Their system, which integrates with existing security camera infrastructure, has led to 12 arrests and handles over 1,000 customer incidents, showing tangible impact in real-world situations.

Perhaps most innovative is ZeroEyes’ approach to avoiding bias in their AI system. Unlike many AI applications that have faced criticism for racial or behavioral bias, ZeroEyes focuses exclusively on weapon detection.

As Fallon notes, “Ours is not biased because we do no behavioral analytics … We look exclusively for the weapon.” This targeted approach, combined with their proprietary training data created in controlled environments, represents a significant advancement in AI application design.

The company’s exploration of parametric insurance solutions reveals an understanding of the broader economic impact of gun-related incidents. Even in best-case scenarios where no shots are fired, schools face unexpected costs in the mid-five figures.

Looking ahead, ZeroEyes envisions becoming “the next smoke alarm” for gun detection, aiming to be as ubiquitous in security systems as fire prevention measures.

To listen to this and other episodes, visit predictandprevent.org, or look for Predict & Prevent on most podcasting platforms. &