NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Federal investigators in New York are seeking records from the manufacturer of an AI-powered weapons scanner that was this summer in New York City鈥檚 subway system.
The tech company, Evolv, revealed in a public filing that it 鈥渞eceived a voluntary document request from the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office of the Southern District of New York鈥� on Nov. 1.
It was unclear what the request was seeking. The U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office in Manhattan declined to comment on the request, which was first by the Daily News. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Evolv said the company was 鈥減leased to cooperate with all government agencies and regulators who request information from our company.鈥�
The Massachusetts-based tech company, whose scanners have also been used at sports stadiums and schools, has faced allegations of misconduct. Last month, Evolv鈥檚 board of directors following an internal investigation that found certain sales had been 鈥渟ubject to extra-contractual terms and conditions.鈥�
On Tuesday, the company announced it had resolved a previous probe launched by the Federal Trade Commission last year over allegations of deceptive marketing practices. The company is also under separate investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Despite the legal and regulatory scrutiny, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a pilot program this summer to bring a handful of scanners to the city's subways to deter gun violence. The initiative drew immediate criticism from civil liberties groups who said the searches were unconstitutional, along with questions about its efficacy.
In October, the city the scanners did not detect any passengers with firearms 鈥� but falsely alerted more than 100 times.
At the time, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department said it was still 鈥渆valuating the outcome of the pilot鈥� and had not entered into any contract with Evolv.
Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press
