It is "just the dataset" is a very valid excuse for not working. What if they trained the dataset on cats instead? Expecting it to work on humans instead .

What it isn't an excuse for are the goddamned negligent idiots who tried to use it in law enforcement without through testing. It would be akin to a surgeon dipping every sterile sharp unstruments in yogurt cultures and foregoing antibiotics before use to see if good bacteria makes infections less likely and could prevent antibiotic resistant bacteria. Even if the theory is valid and the goal worthwhile the needless risk taking shows a callous disregard for human life especially when done in an utterly halfassed way like that.