Key Takeaways
- Incident Overview: Taki Allen, a 16-year-old football player, was mistakenly treated as a threat due to an AI misidentifying his snack.
- Police Response: The police arrived with guns drawn but confirmed he was not formally arrested.
- Public Reaction: Social media users expressed outrage and concern over the implications of AI in school safety.
- Safety Concerns: Taki now feels unsafe and avoids going outside after practice due to the incident.
Roomies, you won’t believe how wild school safety got in Baltimore. Taki Allen, a 16-year-old football player, found himself face-down on the ground with armed cops surrounding him… all because an AI system thought his snack was a weapon.
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AI Panic Turns Taki Allen’s Doritos Into Drama
According to Taki, on Monday, October 20, he was finishing a bag of Doritos after football practice and tucked the empty packet into his pocket. About 20 minutes later, eight cop cars came, officers jumped out with guns drawn, and Taki was ordered to the ground. “He told me to get on my knees, arrested me and put me in cuffs,” he told local media. Luckily, Baltimore County police confirmed he wasn’t formally arrested, and the situation was quickly resolved. But, not before leaving the teen shaken.
The TL Is Weighing In
As soon as the story hit, Shade Room’s Instagram comment section blew up. Some users were shook, warning that AI mistakes like this are only going to get worse. And others couldn’t believe a bag of chips sparked such a heavy response. Meanwhile, many chimed in with a harsher reality check, pointing out that if Taki had been a different race, the situation might have escalated even faster.
One Instagram user @shredchaser said, “Not the AI with built in racism ”
This Instagram user @londonsemaj shared, “The best lawsuit ever! Easy money“
And, Instagram user @d.nice_therealest added, “& this is what’s supposed to be taking over our jobs ? yeah ok“
Meanwhile, Instagram user @slaughterhousescorpio wrote, “Defended the tech and offered no apology to the injured party…yeah these people are hell“
While Instagram user @elli.hustleman said, “Let’s run it back with a different skin tone bet they would’ve seen the chips bag ”
Lastly, Instagram user @justdth added, “So every time they get a possible detection of a gun they’re going to draw their guns in a kid’s face??? Wtf is going on? ”
AI Alert Sparks Snackgate Chaos
The incident has sparked questions about the use of AI in schools. To note, Baltimore County schools began using AI “to detect potential weapons” last year, per The Guardian. In this instance, Baltimore County officials explained that the system correctly flagged a potential threat, but human reviewers had cleared it. However, the school principal missed the alert and escalated it to the police anyway. Omnilert, the AI provider, insisted its system “operated as designed,” emphasizing rapid threat detection. But local politicians and the teen himself are calling for a review of the protocols. Furthermore, Taki now says he waits inside after football practice, wary of even holding a snack, proving that sometimes, technology’s “safety” comes with a heavy dose of chaos.
“I don’t think no chip bag should be mistaken for a gun at all,” Taki said. “Now, I don’t even go outside after practice anymore. I just stay inside until my ride comes—I don’t feel safe.”
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