The US has introduced AI-enabled vending machines that dispense ammunition to customers over the age of 21 with valid ID.
Various stores in Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas are installing ammunition vending machines that use 360-degree facial recognition to verify a person's age and identification.
Another machine is set to be installed in Colorado this week.
The vending machine, manufactured by ammunition distribution company American Rounds, is designed to make ammunition available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The company said it aims to free the retail process “from the constraints of opening hours and long queues.”
According to a promotional video released earlier this year, the machines were installed in response to requests from Fresh Value stores.
“They came to us because they knew their customer base. There's a big hunting community in Pell City,” an American Round representative said.
While most comments on the video have been celebratory, some viewers have expressed concern, with one person saying: “This is very dystopian.”
Cybersecurity expert Andrew Whaley told Business Insider that while the technology undergoes rigorous security checks, it's not 100% hack-proof.
“The simple truth is that as retailers continue to digitize such services and inject advanced technologies, the attack surface for cybercriminals inevitably widens, turning each innovation into a potential vulnerability,” said Whaley, who is also senior technical director at Norwegian cybersecurity firm Promon.
“The obvious concern is that bad actors will exploit vulnerabilities inherent in the vending machine system itself,” he added.
“It's still possible that cybercriminals could exploit weaknesses in facial recognition software to circumvent security measures and buy ammunition.”
Another potential risk is the possibility of bugs, which could lead to erroneous results.
“An error in this technology could theoretically result in the denial of legitimate transactions or, even more dangerously, the authorization of illegal transactions,” Whaley said.
American Round CEO Grant Magers said his company's vending machines are “the safest and most secure way to purchase ammunition in the country.”
In a statement to BI, Magers recalled witnessing boxes of ammunition being opened and displayed on retail shelves, which he said encourages minors to purchase ammunition and increases the theft rate.
“It's easy for an underage buyer to go online, click that they are of legal age, buy ammunition and have it shipped to their home,” Magers added.
“We never store, share or sell our customers' personal information. We believe in responsible firearms ownership and we believe we are creating a better environment for all law-abiding firearm owners,” he said.
Whaley believes there are ways to minimise the risks, and recommends regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address potential vulnerabilities in vending machines, as well as strict access controls, detailed access logs and physical security measures such as alarm systems and surveillance cameras.
A report released by Everytown for Gun Safety ranked Alabama fourth on the list of states for gun-related violence in 2024. Oklahoma was 13th, Colorado was 19th, and Texas was 26th. The company also plans to expand into Louisiana, which ranked second only to Mississippi.
President Joe Biden has committed to making the nation gun safe and has declared guns a public health crisis. His opponent, Donald Trump, has voiced his support for the Second Amendment and has promised to repeal gun control laws.
