School, Swatting and the Dark side of AI
By now, we have all read about the potential benefits and increasing threats artificial intelligence poses. Advanced technologies like AI, while generating clear societal benefits, also present opportunities for criminals to exploit the technologies and create new methods for victimizing innocent people. One of the more nefarious examples of criminals using AI is the phenomenon of “swatting” private individuals, businesses or institutions like schools. Swatting is the act of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address.
As school districts across the country continue to examine the use of AI technology for educational purposes and plagiarism concerns, police leaders and emergency managers must reflect on how this technology will be leveraged to enhance the severity of swatting calls and fictitious emergencies.
Unfortunately, it’s likely this problem is going to get worse before it gets better. Just in the past year, in response to a false call of a school shooting, a police officer rammed his patrol car through the school’s locked doors. In another instance, an officer in Massachusetts accidentally discharged his service weapon while responding to a faked call of a school shooting.
