Ghost gun proliferation spurs crackdown at Thingiverse, the world's largest 3D printer model file repository — lawmakers also ask 3D printer vendors to create AI-based systems to detect and block gun prints

As much as we love 3D printing, there's no denying the dangerous potential that comes with something like a modern 3D printer. Creating a weapon is as easy as loading a print file in your print queue, which is why big companies like Thingiverse have taken action to make the file acquisition process as hard as possible on their part. According to ABC, Thingiverse is now implementing a new strategy to stop users from uploading things like gun-related files before they're openly distributed on the platform.

This effort comes in response to an investigation handled by the New York Police Department (NYPD). The NYPD came across hundreds of weapon-related files on Thingiverse that could be downloaded by users and presumably 3D printed. Thingiverse is one of the largest websites for downloading 3D printable model files. ABC argues its rapid growth and subsequent jump in scale made it harder for the team to regulate these types of files.

The lack of control made it difficult for the team to manage, which led to the results found in the NYPD investigation. Thingiverse is now responding with a new "automated technology" designed to block the upload of dangerous files, like guns and gun-related components, before they're published.

The powers behind the movement at the District Attorney's office in New York confirm that they do not expect this effort to eradicate ghost guns. They do, however, want to make the process of finding ghost gun files as hard as possible and have decided to address one of the biggest sources for 3D printable CAD files in their efforts to help make that happen.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg also contacted 3D printer companies like Bambu Lab, requesting they join in efforts to add hurdles to users who want to 3D print guns and gun-related components. Bragg requested Bambu Lab consider implementing an AI-driven system that checks CAD files against a model trained on gun blueprints to automatically detect gun-shaped parts.

If you're new to 3D printing, check out our list of the best 3D printers to see which devices we recommend. We don't recommend 3D printing any weapons, and already tried 3D printing a gun for ourselves if you want to see how that turned out.

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