Philadelphia – Rob Huberty’s operations center says “military” – and for good reason.
His company, ZeroEyes, is trying to combat America’s scourge of school shooters. Are artificial intelligence technology scans security cameras for weapons in hundreds of school districts, sending images to a central command for rapid fire inspection. The software signals suspicious images to employees, who can then alert the authorities at the touch of a button.
Huberty, an ex-Navy SEAL, was struck by surveillance footage from the 2018 Parkland school shooter showing his weapon visible on camera before the massacre occurred. However, no one was watching at the time and the gunman went on to kill seventeen people. ZeroEyes hopes to prevent this by creating an opportunity to save lives before the shooting begins.
In the past four years alone, school shootings have killed more than 200 people and injured more than 600, according to a CBS News analysis of the K-12 School Shooting Database. Schools are spending hefty sums on products like AI surveillance monitoring and foldable safe rooms bulletproof backpacks and school supplies are sold to anxious parents.
The ZeroEyes technology is expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars annually. It also cannot recognize hidden weapons, such as a gun tucked into a backpack.
In Alabama, commercial contractor Kevin Thomas has a different solution: a collapsible, expandable safe space installed in the classroom. It is floor to ceiling, bulletproof and spacious enough for 30 students. Thomas started building the devices after 22 people were killed School shooting in Uvalde in 2022.
About $3 billion is spent on it school security annually, according to market research firm Omdia, but Rutgers University professor Daniel Semenza says there is “not very good research” to suggest the money is well spent.
“It’s a fear response and an empowerment,” Semanza said.
Thomas’ safe room comes with a hefty price tag of $45,000. He says he’d donate one to every classroom and put himself out of business if he could — which isn’t likely, as America’s schools move closer to fortresses.
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