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AI tech will help enforce gun ban at Michigan Capitol

The Michigan state capitol in Lansing at dusk. Original image from Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress collection. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.
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The Michigan state capitol in Lansing at dusk. Original image from Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress collection. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.

New artificial intelligence software is being deployed at the Michigan Capitol to help detect illegal guns in the building.

The ZeroEyes software will monitor surveillance video from cameras posted inside the Capitol for signs that someone slipped a gun past the metal detectors.

“Using technology to basically watch the cameras and say, hey somebody’s pulled out a weapon, they brandished a weapon,” as William Kandler, chair of the Michigan State Capitol Commission, described it. “(It) wouldn’t tell you necessarily if they’re carrying it concealed. Hopefully, we would have caught that when they came to the door. But if they pull it out, we would see it.”

Kandler said if the system spots something that seems like a weapon, that sets off an automatic alert to officers stationed nearby.

“No system’s 100%. It won’t be perfect,” Kandler told Michigan Public Radio. “We want to do the best we can to try and keep people safe. We have a lot of school kids coming in here. We have elected officials trying to make policy for constituents. We have staff working here. We just want to make sure that people can do those things.”

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Rick Pluta is the managing editor for the Michigan Public Radio Network.
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