How I Built This with Guy Raz – A biometric smart gun with Kai Kloepfer of Biofire

Intro

In this episode of “How I Built This with Guy Raz,” Guy interviews Kai Kloepfer, the founder of BioFire, a startup that is developing a biometric smart gun. The goal of the BioFire Smart Gun is to reduce accidental gun injuries and deaths, particularly among adolescents. Kai’s interest in developing a smart gun was sparked by a mass shooting when he was 15, and he has since dedicated his efforts to creating a safer option for gun owners. In this episode, Kai shares the challenges and successes of building a reliable smart gun and discusses the potential impact it can have on gun safety.

Main Takeaways

Reducing Gun Injuries and Deaths

• The BioFire Smart Gun aims to reduce accidental gun injuries and deaths, as well as gun suicides among adolescents.
• Two-thirds of gun deaths in the United States are the result of suicides and accidents, highlighting the importance of focusing on prevention.
• Kai believes that preventing accidental gun injuries and deaths is a more feasible area for technical solutions than trying to prevent criminals from committing crimes.

The Need for Smart Gun Technology

• Children and teenagers often gain access to firearms not intended for them, leading to accidents and tragedies.
• Smart gun technology can remove human error from gun safety and provide a safer option for families.
• Previous attempts at smart gun technology failed due to unreliable technology, not opposition from gun lobbies.

The BioFire Smart Gun

• Kai designed a smart gun that only unlocks for recognized users and instantly relocks when not held.
• The gun utilizes biometrics, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, to unlock and function like a normal firearm.
• All biometric data is kept locally on the gun and is encrypted for added security.

Building Trust and Scaling Manufacturing

• Biophire aims to build trust with customers by providing hands-on experiences and getting the gun in the hands of trusted experts and reviewers.
• The company is experiencing high demand and is focused on fulfilling orders.
• Biophire hopes to reduce the cost of the smart gun as they scale manufacturing efforts.

Summary

Developing a Safer Option for Gun Owners

Kai Kloepfer’s startup BioFire is focused on developing a smart gun that can only be used by authorized individuals. The goal is to reduce accidental gun injuries and deaths, as well as gun suicides among adolescents. With two-thirds of gun deaths in the United States attributed to suicides and accidents, Kai believes that preventing these incidents is a more realistic area for technical solutions than trying to prevent criminals from accessing firearms. BioFire’s smart gun technology provides a safer option for families by removing human error from gun safety.

The Challenges of Smart Gun Technology

Smart gun technology has been around since the 19th century, but previous attempts have failed due to unreliable technology. However, the opposition from gun lobbies is not the main reason for the lack of progress. Children and teenagers often gain access to firearms not intended for them, leading to accidents and tragedies. By utilizing biometrics, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, the BioFire Smart Gun ensures that only recognized users can unlock and use the firearm. All biometric data is encrypted and stored locally on the gun for added security.

Building Trust and Scaling Manufacturing

Biophire aims to build trust with customers by providing hands-on experiences and getting the smart gun in the hands of trusted experts and reviewers. The company is experiencing high demand and is focused on fulfilling orders. As they scale their manufacturing efforts, Biophire hopes to reduce the cost of the smart gun, making it more accessible to a wider range of customers. Despite the challenges of fundraising and building a complicated deep tech hardware, Biophire is determined to prove the technology and have it available to as many interested customers as possible.

Conclusion

The BioFire Smart Gun developed by Kai Kloepfer and his startup, BioFire, is a significant step towards reducing accidental gun injuries and deaths. By focusing on preventing accidents and suicides, BioFire’s smart gun technology provides a safer option for gun owners. With increasing demand and a commitment to building trust with customers, Biophire aims to make their smart gun accessible to a wide range of individuals. The ultimate goal is to have the BioFire Smart Gun be as transformative as Tesla was for electric vehicles, revolutionizing gun safety and saving lives.