AI weapon-detection firm ‘deceptively’ advertised to schools, venues, says FTC

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday filed a settlement in the case against the artificial intelligence weapon-detection company Evolv, detailing allegations that the company “deceptively” advertises its weapons scanner to schools and other venues.

The Massachusetts company, and its claims about its AI weapons scanners, have been under investigation by the FTC since last October and by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission since the beginning of the year. The investigations followed concerns that the company was overstating its technology’s capability to detect guns and knives among other weapons stowed in personal belongings, while ignoring harmless personal items.

The FTC’s complaint alleged that Evolv deceptively advertised the accuracy of its Express scanners, which the commission said are used in more than 800 schools, and many other venues, such as sports stadiums and hospitals, a news release said.

Evolv has also been deployed by city transportation systems. Earlier this year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the city’s police department would test Evolv’s gun-detection scanners in the city’s subway system. In October, following the conclusion of the pilot program, the Legal Aid Society said the program was “objectively a failure,” citing its high false positive rate.

The FTC said other falsehoods Evolv perpetuated about its product included that the Express scanners can detect weapons more accurately and faster than metal detectors, that they reduce false alarm rates and cut labor costs by 70% compared to metal detectors by reducing the need for additional personnel.

Additionally, the FTC alleged that the scanners had failed to detect weapons in schools in several instances. In one case, the system failed to detect a seven-inch knife brought into a school in October 2022 that was used to stab a student. Following the incident, school officials increased the system’s sensitivity settings, prompting a 50% false alarm rate, the news release said.

School systems make up half of Evolv’s business, according to the FTC, making it a huge player in the AI-gun detection technology space as it competes with companies such as ZeroEyes. ZeroEyes has also received ire from school safety technology experts for its controversial marketing practices and claims that its product can help to protect children from gun violence on public school grounds.

In its marketing materials, Evolv claims its AI-powered scanners are a high-tech alternative to traditional metal scanners. In its school-specific marketing materials, the company claimed its products could help address the problem of guns and other weapons in schools.

As part of the settlement, Evolv would be banned “from making unsupported claims about its products’ ability to detect weapons by using artificial intelligence.” It would also force the company to give certain K-12 customers that signed multi-year contracts the option to cancel their deals.

In filing a proposed settlement, the FTC asks the court to grant a permanent injunction against Evolv, which would prevent the company from continuing to allegedly falsely advertise its product’s capabilities. For any further action against the company, the court must grant the injunction.

“The FTC has been clear that claims about technology—including artificial intelligence—need to be backed up, and that is especially important when these claims involve the safety of children,” Samuel Levine, the director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in the news release. “If you make those claims without adequate support, you can expect to hear from the FTC.”