East Texas Hospital Adds AI System to Detect Guns and Explosives

In an effort to make its East Texas facilities safer, CHRISTUS Health has installed new AI threat detection systems. CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital has installed new artificial intelligence technology at its emergency room entrance in Tyler to help detect firearms, explosives, and other potential threats brought into the facility.

Why CHRISTUS Added AI Threat Detection in Tyler

CHRISTUS Health announced June 17 that it has added, or plans to add, 13 Xonar Threat Detection Systems across its facilities in Alice, Beeville, Corpus Christi, Kleberg and Tyler.

READ MORE: Tyler Man Arrested After Nurse Assault

How the Xonar Threat Detection System Works

According to the hospital, the Xonar system uses artificial intelligence (AI) to perform shape, material, and dimensional analysis in an attempt to detect firearms, ceramics weapons, explosives and other potential threats.

Patients and visitors using the Tyler emergency room at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital began being screened by the new Xonar system on June 19. CHRISTUS did say that human security personnel are on-site to assist and support those being screened by the Xonar system.

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Questions Raised About AI Security Screening

It is worth noting that in 2024, the Federal Trade Commission took action against security screening company Evolv over allegedly unsupported claims about its system’s ability to detect weapons.

When it comes to protecting hospital patients and staff, these new AI screening systems could prove helpful. The last thing we need is health care professionals in East Texas worrying about being injured or even killed while on the job. And unfortunately, violence is more common than people might expect at hospitals.