The home security industry enjoyed quite a boost from the wireless revolution that took hold more than a decade ago. Now the industry is set for another big boost thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). AI has a crucial role to play in the future of home security, a role we are just starting to see emerge.
Equipment manufacturers have been looking for ways to incorporate AI into security equipment for a number of years. Until recently, their efforts have not produced much. Working with limited datasets has been a major hindrance to development. But thanks to an explosion in datasets and LLMs, manufacturers have a lot more information to work with.
CNET’s Tyler Lacoma wrote an excellent piece in October, 2024 explaining the current state of AI in home security. It is a good read that I highly recommend. In the meantime, I will highlight some of his more salient points in the remainder of this post.
Overwhelmed by a Security System
Electronic home security has its positives and negatives. A chief negative among consumers is being overwhelmed by so many notifications. This is more of a factor for consumers who monitor their own systems without the help of a professional monitoring company. Every time the system is alerted, a homeowner gets a phone notification.
A lot of us already get too many notifications even without a home security system in play. Adding a security system only increases the load. It is this particular issue for which AI really shines. AI-equipped security devices can greatly reduce the number of notifications a person receives.
AI-Powered Object Recognition
How does AI reduce notifications? One method is through AI-powered object recognition. Lacoma discussed this particular feature at length in his post. He talked about it in terms of the video cameras he has surveilling his back and front yards.
Video cameras without onboard AI simply detect motion. Once motion is detected, they begin recording. An alert is sent to the consumer regardless of what triggered the camera. The trigger could be an animal, a person, or even a car driving by. A consumer getting too many notifications either needs to turn them off or attempt to adjust the sensitivity or field of view on the camera.
AI makes it possible to build cameras capable of distinguishing between objects. A camera with AI can tell the difference between a human and a dog. It can tell the difference between a car driving by and a person walking up the driveway.
Thanks to object recognition capabilities, a homeowner can fine tune his notifications so that he receives only the information he wants. Lacoma has done just that. He doesn’t need or want to be notified every time an animal runs through the back yard. He only cares if the camera at the back of his house picks up a human being.
Recognizing Friends and Family
Another great feature is the ability to recognize friends and family members through facial scans. According to Vivint Home Security, facial recognition software already makes it possible for homeowners to control property access via smart locks. The same technology can be employed with video cameras to better understand who is approaching a home. If a camera can detect friends and family, it can also alert homeowners to strangers.
There is a lot more to be said on this topic, but space won’t allow. The thing to note is that AI is having a massive impact on how manufacturers design home security equipment and software. It truly is revolutionizing the home security industry.
