Brevard County School Board considering new AI tech to prevent school shootings

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Updated  December 17, 2024 11:51pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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New technology to prevent school shootings

The latest school shooting in the U.S. is sparking a closer look at safety in Central Florida classrooms. The Brevard School Board is now considering using AI to try and prevent mass shootings like this from happening in the first place.

VIERA, Fla. - The latest school shooting in the U.S. is sparking a closer look at safety in Central Florida classrooms. 

The Brevard School Board is now considering using AI to try and prevent mass shootings like this from happening in the first place. 

The company ZeroEyes presented their technology to the school board on Tuesday.

The conversation is early, but if implemented, it could be used on 5,000 cameras in the school district.

"Hardening our schools used to be locking the front door, and now we’re looking at AI," said school board chair Gene Trent. 

Artificial intelligence developed by former Navy SEALs is the next tool the school board is considering to keep kids safe.

It works by integrating AI into already existing security cameras on campus, and the technology has one goal.

"The AI 24/7 365 is asking one question: is there a gun in this image or not?" said J.T. Wilkins, who’s the Senior VP of Sales at ZeroEyes. 

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If the camera detects a gun, the company then uses human eyes to figure out what to do next as fast as possible.

"They’re trained to see these firearms. They’re trained with weapons training. They’re trained to make a fast decision," said the company rep. "They’re going to look at that and say yes, this is in fact a firearm or no, this is not."

The goal is to reduce response times and let first responders know where a gun is on campus and where it’s going. The cameras track the threat until it's taken down.

"What we’re ultimately doing is providing enhanced situational awareness for first responders to cut down on response times," said Wilkins. 

Recently, BPS installed metal detectors and started the Guardian Program, arming some staff members with guns.

Trent says they’re taking a "layer, layer, layer" approach to school safety, and this could be the next layer of security if the district can afford it.

"Is this even typical of a district of our size? I mean we have 100 schools. That’s something we are going to have to really take into consideration," said Trent, who is concerned about budgeting for the program. 

This presentation was step one. How much this would cost was not discussed at all, but the district could bring down the price tag by choosing which cameras are armed with the technology. It doesn’t have to go on every single camera. 

This tool is also being used right now at schools in Seminole County and Indian River County, to name a few. 

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