[imagesource:goodfon]

The land of the free and home of the brave now offers gun owners the convenience of buying bullets for their AR-15s from AI-powered vending machines.

The dystopian bullet kiosks are the brainchild of a Texas-based venture called American Rounds, and use “built-in AI technology” and “facial recognition software,” which allegedly allow the devices to “meticulously verify the identity and age of each buyer.”

The company released a promotional video that shows how easy it is to buy some extra rounds for your favourite gun. Simply saddle up to the machine, provide some identification, let the camera scan your face and once the ‘advanced tech’ confirms that you are who you say you are, it coughs up the bullets. As easy as bang, bang, bang.

American Rounds avoids using the term ‘vending machines’ for these kiosks on their website, rather referring to them as ‘smart retail automated ammo dispensers’, although they should really have called them ‘Freedom Kiosks’.

“Our smart retail automated ammo dispensers have built-in AI technology, card scanning capability and facial recognition software.”

American Rounds claims to be “at the cutting edge of retail ammunition technology,” with the kiosk allowing for “24/7” access to ammo, “ensuring that you can buy ammunition on your own schedule, free from the constraints of store hours and long lines.”

Not everyone is firing shots into the sky with joy over these Freedom Kiosks though. While it is incredibly easy to purchase guns and ammo in the US, gun stores still have the right to refuse the sale of ammo to anyone who may appear suspicious or mentally unstable.

American Rounds’ claim that its machine can reliably confirm age and identity means little if a mentally unstable drug dealer wants to buy a few extra 9mm rounds for some after-hours mayhem.

SHTF Plan or Self Defense: How Much Ammunition Is Actually Enough?
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— americanrounds (@americanrounds) May 9, 2024

There are also some concerns about the reliability of the facial recognition software, which is still nowhere near perfect. While the algorithms are generally pretty good at identifying white men under ideal conditions, the software has a sketchy record when it comes to reading female, or racially diverse faces.

Indeed, American Rounds have been rather vague about their privacy terms and even the promotional video doesn’t appear to show any privacy statements or warnings. Officially though, the machines are in full compliance with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives standards.

The rest of the country might have to keep their freedom-sticks holstered a little while longer, but in Tuscaloosa, it’s high noon 24/7. As Mayor Walt Maddox says, “It’s what the founding fathers intended!”

[source:futurism]