A town hall held at NHCS explains a potential AI security pilot program
"If this money runs out, that is going to cost $300,000, which is equivalent to five to six teachers or school personnel."
NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY)–The New Hanover County Board of Education held a town hall meeting Tuesday night to discuss a potential artificial intelligence security pilot program. However, not everyone who attended was on board.
“If this money runs out, that is going to cost $300,000, which is equivalent to five to six teachers or school personnel,” said Kemeka Sidbury with the New Hanover County NAACP branch.
Sidbury is one of many scratching their heads at the thought of a potential AI security pilot program coming to the district.
“They are throwing these things, and they’re not a solution. The data will let you know. If it is a solution, the data will let you know,” Sidbury explained.
In a town hall in the New Hanover County Board of Education building Tuesday night, a presentation to bring an AI security pilot program was held. The company that would be used is called Eviden- a French-based company that focuses on digital transformation, cyber security, cloud computing, and AI solutions.
Superintendent Dr. Christopher Barnes said it does the job of CCTV operators who watch cameras all day.
“It alerts to things the system tells it to look for, and it’ll ping the principal.. the assistant principal or whoever you designate,” Barnes explained.
It’ll look for suspicious activity in crowd surges, falls, weapons detection, etc. The district received a $3-million grant from the state to pay for this two-year-long pilot program. It’ll cost just about $300,000 a year to fund it. That price tag doesn’t sit right with many folks.
We asked Dr. Barnes if the district considered the longevity of it. The state is funding the program in full, but once the two years are over, who is left to pay for the continuation of the program? That part has not been discussed yet. Barnes says it’s out of two options. The first option will show law markers data from the program, which may persuade them to fund the program for the entire state. The second option would cause the district to look at funds to continue. However, Barnes said the program’s purpose is to see if lawmakers can implement it statewide.
Attendees of Tuesday’s town hall say they’re concerned the district isn’t spending its budget effectively, and they are afraid students will feel like schools are prisons.
“My goal is that every kid is going to have inherit dignity that they deserve when they are in schools,” Barnes reassured.
