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Mansfield ISD officials are standing by a new artificial intelligence-powered weapon’s detection system despite the technology’s maker facing a pending federal lawsuit for false advertising.A lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission accuses Evolv of making false claims about the effectiveness of its AI system and its ability to detect weapons and ignore harmless personal items. Mansfield ISD has used Evolv’s system since the start of the 2024-25 school year.The Evolv Express Weapons Detection System is a walk-through device that scans for illegal items such as guns, explosives and knives. Mansfield ISD requires all campus visitors to go through the systems, which are located at the main entrances.The detectors are prone to flagging nonharmful items like binders, laptops, umbrellas and eyeglass cases, and students often must empty their bags for screening before entering school.Mansfield ISD installed the Evolv detection system in August 2024 after paying Evolv about $2.3 million — an estimated $47,264 for each of the district’s 49 campuses, according to Mansfield ISD’s website. The systems were one of the first campus improvements rolled out as part of the district’s 2024 bond package voters approved in May.Mansfield ISD’s use of the system made headlines in early February when the screeners flagged a loaded gun in a student’s bag as they entered Legacy High School. The student was arrested and charged with a second-degree felony of possessing a weapon in a place where it’s prohibited.Since rolling out the screeners, district security has learned which common items the system might mistake for possible weapons, Britney Fortner, director of safety and security, said in a written statement to the Arlington Report. The system’s AI can be confused by the shape or composition of items leading to the system’s metal-detecting components flagging a student.Staff members require students to empty their bags of these products for inspection in new prescreen areas on campuses, Fortner said.The FTC seeks to bar Evolv from making unsupported claims about its products’ ability to detect weapons using artificial intelligence. The settlement could also give certain school districts the option to cancel their contracts, which generally lock customers into multiyear deals.EVOLVORDERFILEDDownloadMansfield ISD is aware of the FTC lawsuit, which was filed in November 2024, Fortner said. However, administrators “are pleased with the product’s performance and plan to continue using it.”“Evolv is just one part of our multifaceted safety and security plan in Mansfield ISD,” Fortner said. “Thus far, the Evolv technology has been effective in our environment for identifying weapons of concern.”Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601. At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.