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Armed police handcuff teen after AI mistakes crisp packet for gun

2025-10-24 22:00:10
Taki Allen, 16, said he had a packet of Doritos

A US teenager was handcuffed by armed police after an artificial intelligence (AI) system mistakenly said he was carrying a gun - when really he was holding a packet of crisps.

"Police showed up, like eight cop cars, and then they all came out with guns pointed at me talking about getting on the ground," 16-year-old Baltimore pupil Taki Allen told local outlet WMAR-2 News.

Baltimore County Police Department said their officers "responded appropriately and proportionally based on the information provided at the time".

It said the AI alert was sent to human reviewers who found no threat - but the principal missed this and contacted the school's safety team, who ultimately called the police.

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