When translated to a security environment, the reason artificial intelligence is so effective is because it ‘learns’ in very much the same way as humans do. However, AI does so at a vastly more rapid rate. It has the capability of ingesting massive quantities of data, analyzing it, and using it to make extremely accurate predictions about what will happen in the future given a variety of differing models. Depending on the desired outcome, AI can evaluate the conditions and inputs enabling it to deliver a new model to optimize the occurrence of that specific result. As more data becomes available through use of the system or device, AI can continue to optimize and grow in efficiency.
With the evolving dynamics of cloud storage and the fast-growing volume of security data, AI has become a disruptive technological force across all segments of the physical security industry. Among the biggest beneficiaries has been video surveillance, which can leverage faster processing to deliver more and better analytics. Beyond surveillance, building automation, fire systems, intrusion detection, and physical and network access control are now benefitting from AI built into many core competencies.
Secure entrances embrace AI
It seems clear AI has the potential to play an important role in making exterior and interior entrances more secure. While AI will be able to help in many security-related tasks, such as discerning people from objects at a facility’s perimeter and interior entrances, detecting attempted piggybacking, and spotting and analyzing potentially lethal objects and dangerous people, AI alone cannot take action to prevent unauthorized human intrusions or deny the entry of dangerous objects.
As we move to greater converged technology at the edge, the quandary is how AI may practically interplay with entry solutions, such as revolving doors, turnstiles, and swing doors, to accomplish risk-reduction goals. Disconnect between the objectives of the facility’s owner and building code regulations can further complicate the security blueprint.
The process of improving operational effectiveness using AI can equally be applied to security entrances. Due to the range of specific project needs, as well as the variety of other security systems that may need to be integrated, adding AI functionality to security entrance systems is typically done via a collaborative effort with a selected third-party solutions provider. This way, the particular functions and strengths of the selected AI software can match the specific project conditions and constraints.
For example, video analytics with AI capabilities are being deployed to address use cases, such as people and dangerous object detection, piggybacking, and facial recognition at secured entrances. The increased integration of AI providers with traditional security entrance partners has resulted in improvements in many of the factors considered to be fundamental to operations. These include:
∞ price;
∞ speed;
∞ ease of use; and
∞ integration with other systems and sensors.
