(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A new Chicago Transit Authority pilot program uses Artificial Intelligence to detect guns on trains, buses and other CTA property.
“We cannot recognize faces – we do not want to. We cannot store biometric data, name, face, location of you as an individual. We don't want to,” said Sam Alaimo, co-founder of the AI system Zero Eyes.
The system is now in use by the Chicago Transit Authority.
Alaimo says that what is being tracked are guns on CTA trains, buses, and other property. Local authorities are notified within 3 to 5 seconds of their detection. The ultimate goal of the system is to prevent a possible shooting.
However, if a gunman does open fire, the information monitored by the former military and law enforcement personnel with Zero Eyes can help with a faster local police response and resolution.
“They know exactly where to go. So police don't have to go to the south side of the building and work their way to the north side of the building — go to one subway platform versus the other subway platform. And when that first shot’s fired, 911 is flooded with hundreds of calls with conflicting information.”
Some CTA riders seemed hesitant about the AI system.
“It seems a little overboard,” one rider said.
After learning that the system wouldn’t use facial recognition technology or store any biometric data they were more interested.
“Ahhh, okay. So it's a preventive measure based on what people carry. Yeah, I guess that's alright.”
A 12 month contract awarded to Zero Eyes by the Chicago Transit Authority, worth about $200,000, is paid for by using funds from the CTA’s annual operating security budget.
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