New York City has launched a pilot program using AI-powered scanners in an attempt to enhance subway security by detecting guns and knives. The program has been met with skepticism from riders and potential legal action from civil liberties advocates, who assert that the searches violate constitutional rights. The scanners, provided by Evolv, are being tested for 30 days at select subway stations. They use artificial intelligence to identify weapons, triggering an alert to be monitored by NYPD officers. Privacy concerns have been raised, and critics argue that subjecting millions of commuters to security screenings is impractical and wasteful.

Meanwhile, crime rates in the subway system have declined in recent years. The feasibility of deploying scanners across the vast subway network, with its numerous entrances and exits, has also been questioned. Evolv, the company behind the technology, has faced lawsuits and federal probes regarding its devices' capabilities. The city previously experimented with various security measures, including random bag checks, but these have become infrequent.