AI-powered vending machines that sell bullets could be hacked, says a cybersecurity expert
Various stores in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas have installed ammo-vending machines that use 360-degree facial recognition to check a person's age and ID.
According to a promo video released earlier this year, the machines were installed in response to requests from Fresh Value stores.
"They came to us, they knew their customer base…there's a lot of hunting community in Pell City," said a representative for American Rounds.
While most of the comments under the video are celebratory, some viewers are concerned, with one commenting that this was "deeply dystopian shit."
Cybersecurity expert Andrew Whaley told Business Insider that while the technology would have had under rigorous security checks, it is not 100% hack-proof.
"The simple truth is, as retailers continue to digitize services like this and infuse them with advanced technology, they inevitably broaden the attack surface for cybercriminals, transforming each innovation into a potential vulnerability," said Whaley, who is the senior technical director at Norwegian cybersecurity firm Promon.
"An obvious concern would be that bad actors take advantage of vulnerabilities inherent in the vending machine system itself," he added.
