A software company based in California has found another use for facial recognition technology that involves weapons identification.

Using the science behind facial recognition technology, researchers at the company TrueFace are attempting to combat mass shootings and other violent events with software that is capable of identifying weapons wherever security cameras are in use. Using a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision, the software can be applied to already-in-place security cameras, alerting law enforcement the moment a weapon from one of five weapon classes including knives, pistols, shotguns, rifles and swords is pulled in view of the camera. Once identified, the software would then notify law enforcement in just three seconds, according to TrueFace.

“We feed it thousands of images of firearms, so we have all sorts of reference points, and when that gun is shown on the camera feed, we can recognize that is a gun with a very high level of confidence,” said a spokesperson from TrueFace.

Researchers from TrueFace suggest that the software will likely speed up law enforcement response times and possibly prepare law enforcement for a potential mass shooting event using the advanced facial recognition-type technology.

Currently, facial recognition technology has emerged as a go-to security measure for identifying wanted criminal suspects in locations throughout the world ranging from airports, schools and it is even slated for use at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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