Ask HN: Tech crowd – What are your ideas for solving gun violence using tech?
I have sat here all morning, as a software engineer, trying to think of ways that would HELP to solve gun violence.
I want to hear what others ideas are, from the tiniest, small impact ideas, to ones that would be a huge undertaking/thought impossible.
All I am seeing elsewhere today is, "ban guns..", "solve mental health..", "more strict gun control..", etc. We go through these same "solutions" every time a mass shooting occurs.
I DO NOT want to make this thread about any of those political/societal issues. I want to see what ideas are out there with regard to using technology. Please keep political blaming out. Pointing fingers is not the goal here.
And the more detail you have about implementing a tech solution, the better!
Some ideas I've had/thinking about:
- Using Machine learning image processing to identify weapons immediately in an area where there should not be any. Instantly setting off alarms/notifying the police when one is exposed. Recent examples, somebody walking down the street of a popular nightlife area with many bars, holding a gun. Or walking up to the entrance of a popular shopping center. Even if the authorities had 5 - 10 seconds more to respond, it have a major impact on the outcome. I think I've also seen some startups working in the space. Of course it won't be easy. But deployed in the proper areas, such as crowded nightlife areas, could make a huge difference.
- Better tracking of guns location and how guns are traded. This of course is already a law in many places, but I think there are many ways tech can be used to do it better. Including how we can source as much information as possible, within the limits of personal privacy, and put those points together. I don't have specific examples here, would love to hear peoples ideas! I believe there is a lot of low hanging fruit.