AI Security Cameras 101: What Makes Security “Smart”?

The technology behind video surveillance has changed radically from two decades ago. Back then, the best choices available were an analog camera and a recordable VCR tape. Today, the Internet and computer software have given us better security tools.
AI Security Cameras

Modern security solutions are affordable enough to place in any business, but they include powerful technology that can help address your toughest security challenges. What makes an AI security camera smart? How can these tools help you win the battle against criminal activity?

Artificial Intelligence for Security Camera Systems

Artificial intelligence (AI) for video surveillance

Far from being science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) is a discipline of computer science geared toward finding ways to make software smarter, more intuitive, and easier for humans to use. The goal of AI is to allow computers to make decisions and “learn” in the same ways that humans can. 

An artificial intelligence security system leverages the same technologies used in this type of high-end computing. These systems typically include:

  • The video camera hardware mounted on-premises

  • A wireless or hardwired connection to the internet

  • A remote server that receives video data from the business through the internet

  • Camera software with AI technology

  • Data analytics software in the cloud

AI security cameras use these components to run data analytics programs on the video they capture. This analysis can figure out patterns affecting business security. For example, the software in these small cameras can identify specific objects, classify them, and make decisions based on that data.
 

How the AI video analysis does its work can be very interesting. “For instance, the system may be programmed to delineate an object that is taller than it is wide, with limbs moving in specified ways, and so on, and label this object a ‘person.’” This level of intelligence could mean the difference between a false security alarm and the capture of critical data leading to a criminal arrest.

AI security cameras detect weapon gun

AI security cameras can be programmed to detect and respond to humans with weapons. These tools can identify the difference between a human walking into a business normally and a human entering a business with a gun drawn. AI security cameras are typically connected to the internet, and can use this pipeline to alert the police or a remote security team. 

Face recognition AI video surveillance

Companies are also spending billions on new face recognition technologies. This next evolution of AI can use video surveillance to scan a human face and then search a database of people to try to find a match. While this software isn’t widely available, and currently faces some political, legal, and even ethical hurdles, it illustrates the next step in smart security.

Facial recognition and other cutting-edge AI tools are currently in development, and may not be widely available for commercial use. So which features are already present in some of the most commonly used artificial intelligence security systems? How can AI video surveillance make an impact on your business right now?

Three Ways AI Impacts A Business

  • First, identifying activity. An AI camera could potentially determine the difference between normal business traffic and something out of the ordinary.
  • Second, determining how to respond to that activity. Should the camera send an alert to a human? Should it zoom in? Should it begin recording the activity? 
  • Third, executing video analytics and powerful query features. This can cut the time a human spends searching through camera footage. 

The potential impact of AI video security on a business can be massive. Video analytics technology can recognize what is normal, and then discern the abnormal. For example:

  • An AI camera could recognize a human repeatedly standing or moving outside your construction site fencing after hours, and determine that this is unusual.

  • In education, AI cameras can learn to recognize normal student traffic patterns between classes. They can also be programmed to alert to abnormal patterns like fighting or running.

  • These tools could also key into unattended bags left in public spaces and alert security teams.

The power of AI computing in video surveillance is that while a camera can observe a given behavior, the software can tell the difference between a false alarm and a real problem with a good degree of accuracy. Over time, the software improves itself by incorporating what it is learning into its functionality. This is called machine learning, and it is the heart of why AI video surveillance is so smart.

Artificial intelligence surveillance camera

Unlike a human, whose attention span can wane over time, an AI security camera is always watching, learning, and reacting to threats in a business in real-time. Human fatigue and distraction can lead to a missed threat with a negative impact on a business.

This always-on feature is one of the true benefits for AI-based surveillance when it comes to a business. “CCTV monitoring is only as accurate and reliable as the person monitoring it on the screen. However, being humans, operators tend to miss out on crucial security clues at times which can lead to disastrous consequences for the organization.”

AI security cameras also have a huge impact on how data is captured, stored, and processed. Video surveillance collects a massive amount of information, making it unwieldy for a human operator to identify security incidents. With AI software, the most relevant video footage leading to a specific event can be tagged and categorized. From an Internet dashboard, video footage can be searched and pulled quickly and efficiently.

Today, artificial intelligence for security camera systems is eliminating human error and decreasing the chances of burglary, vandalism, violence, or other threats to a business. Pro-Vigil is standing by to provide you with a careful, customized analysis of the potential that AI security could bring to your business. We help companies reduce security risk. Contact us today

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