The Loudoun County Public School system is implementing AI to help identify fights, bullying, and other safety threats, The Washington Post reported.
The system, called Volt AI, will monitor LCPS’s existing security camera footage in common areas. It will use AI to identify weapons, fighting, and medical emergencies that may require staff attention.
“Most organizations don’t have enough people to get everywhere at once, right? And you never can predict where things could happen,” Volt AI co-founder Dmitry Sokolowski told The Washington Post. “With a system like ours, it allows the personnel on the ground in the school to be able to respond in such a quick turnaround.”
LCPS signed a five-year contract with Volt AI, which will be reviewed annually. The first year will cost $1.1 million, according to The Washington Post.
The district already uses Gaggle. The software system monitors school-issued devices and LCPS networks for inappropriate search terms or references to self-harm or violence.
LCPS spokesperson Dan Adams told The Post the use of Volt was part of a broader move to increase security. Upcoming initiatives also include a clear-bag policy for football games. And LCPS is planning a pilot program for weapon-detecting scanners at some sporting events.
To bolster security in its schools, nearby Fairfax County recently began a pilot program testing weapons detectors at high school entrances. FCPS says the detectors will now be permanent at some locations, including at West Potomac High School, the site of an April stabbing.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
