Evolv CEO details how AI can be used to detect weapons

Evolv CEO Peter George sits down with Yahoo Finance Live to discuss the role artificial intelligence can play in detecting weapons and firearms through metal detectors in schools.

Video Transcript

SEANA SMITH: Last week's deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas is renewing the call for safer schools. As lawmakers push for greater restrictions on guns and also more security, one company, Evolv, is working to keep weapons out of schools and other public places. And they're doing it with their AI-based technology.

Joining me now, we want to bring in Peter George. He's the CEO of Evolv. We're also joined by Yahoo Finance reporter Allie Garfinkle. George, let me start with you. Just in terms-- I guess, walk us through how exactly this technology works and why it's different than anything else that's on the market right now.

PETER GEORGE: So we've built-- so thank you so much for the time today. We've built the world's leading AI-based weapons detection solution that combines the most advanced sensors in artificial intelligence to identify weapons on people or threats, as they're moving at the pace of life. So, as you know, today, the only conventional technology is a metal detector invented 80 years ago. It's good at finding metal and not very good at finding weapons.

We use our advanced technology to identify weapons while people are walking through with their normal belongings. So things like keys, Yeti cups or iPhones, you get to walk right through, unless you have a threat. Then we'll find it, whether it's a concealed weapon or an open carry weapon.

ALLIE GARFINKLE: Thank you so much for joining us here, Peter. So if there's one thing that I've learned and that we've talked about, it's that AI can't necessarily do it alone. So can you talk about the role of humans in helping Evolv systems succeed?

PETER GEORGE: Yeah, that's a great question, Allie. So we believe it takes three things to have a really strong security posture. The first one is technology, then process, and then people. In terms of the technology, that's the role that we play. How you operate the system is the process. And then, of course, our systems are manned, either manned by security guards or manned by teachers, in some cases, in schools. Making it very simple to operate, so that the AI technology does all the work for you to identify the threats at speed and scale is really, really important, but our systems always have to be manned by somebody.

SEANA SMITH: Hey, Peter, what has the demand been like? Have you been contacted by numerous schools over the last couple-- over the last week since the Texas shooting? And I guess, how has the conversation changed from your view?

PETER GEORGE: Yeah, so we've been working with schools now for several years. Obviously, kids' safety and school safety is top of mind for everybody. And it's the mission of the company, right, to make the world a safer place to live, work, and play and learn, so that teachers can go to school and teach, and students can go to school and learn. And it's our duty of care to make sure the technology is available to do that.

So that's our mission as a company. We now have hundreds of systems in nine different states across the country. And of course, unfortunately, with tragic events-- and our hearts and prayers go out to everybody at Uvalde-- we're aligning to our mission of making the world a safer place, including and mostly with schools.

ALLIE GARFINKLE: And another thing, Peter, I wanted to make sure I hit on is your GiveEvolv program. What is that program? And what has its impact been so far?

PETER GEORGE: Yeah, thanks so much, Allie. So when we went public, we formed a foundation called GiveEvolv. And the primary role of GiveEvolv is to give systems away, our express technology, the most advanced AI weapons detection solution in the world, to schools in need that need it the most, either can't afford it or in high risk places.

So we accept applications over the course of the year, and we're able to select certain schools that wouldn't normally be able typically to afford this to put our technology in their entry way so that kids can be safe. And we're really proud of that. We gave our first system away at Fayette schools in West Virginia. They've been very happy with that. And we're going to continue to do that throughout the coming years.