Home security has been around since the 1800’s. However, with the ever-changing technological world, people seek more sophisticated reassurance they are safe and/or their property is secure when they are away from home. It’s not enough to rely on a home security company or the ability to peek in via smartphone to make sure all is well from time to time. Preventative physical security is a must have and artificial intelligence (AI) is a logical means to get it.
Prevention in Place or Reaction
Traditional alarms systems, security cameras and security guards are subject to false alarms and/or human error leaving people and property exposed to harm. Traditionally, physical security has been reaction based. Something happens, an alarm sounds, and help is deployed. With the additional of AI, sophisticated preventative measures can be applied.
There is no doubt security cameras have stepped up the monitoring game providing digital eyes where human eyes cannot monitor. However, these are passive views, only as good as the human(s) watching through the camera lenses. For example, what happens when someone looks away or the camera fails to record?
When it comes to true personal safety and the protection of personal property, prevention is always the best policy. This is where AI comes into play, applying a “digital brain” to a security cameras’ “digital eye”. Home security with AI can anticipate risk, not just react to it.
Home security with applied AI has the potential to:
- Circumvent human error – active monitoring that never “looks away”
- Eliminate blind views via geofencing
- Apply facial detection capabilities for regular visitors (friends, family, delivery personnel, maintenance workers) vs. intruders
- Distinguish between normal and suspicious sounds (e.g. glass breaking in a window vs. glass trash being thrown and breaking in a passing garbage truck)
- Deal with false alarms and fast intruders (e.g. porch pirate quickly snatching a delivered package, AI could have detected the moment an unknown person entered the property)
Essentially, AI has the potential to predict home security breaches before they happen and/or effectively disrupt crimes as they happen. However, AI is still a machine-based, man-made technology. There are technical and ethical issues that will have to be addressed on an ongoing basis.
Guest, Worker or Intruder?
There is no denying AI is an exciting addition to the home security model. However, just like human intelligence, artificial intelligence will have to “learn as it goes” to refine its security capabilities.
Some intelligence can be retained and called upon for home security purposes (e.g. weapon identification, the sound of glass breaking, suspicious vehicles casing a home), but not all.
Issues including:
- Distinguishing between good and bad behavior
- Distinguishing between “approved” visitors and someone intending harm
- Situations involving degrees of empathy (e.g. is the person at the gate in need of assistance or are they casing the home/business for break-in?)
These are just a few situations that have subtle nuances that need to be experienced first before they can be noted in the AI repository. In other words, there will never be a perfect, all-knowing AI repository for home security issues. The best approach is a marriage of both human and machine.
Part of the Bigger Picture
Security experts recommend a many layered approach to home security to account for all shortcomings.
- Conduct physical/vulnerability assessments
- Develop a plan of action
- Implement security solutions
- Monitor effectiveness
- Make changes based upon findings
When it comes to effective physical security, there is no simple turn-key solution. We will always need good locks, strong doors and alarm systems. AI just extends security to account for human error, apply preventative measures and quicker response time.
Make no mistake, human error remains the bane of physical security. But human involvement is still an essential element to keep people and property safe.
SACS Consulting Can Help You Be as Secure as Possible
SACS Consulting & Investigative Services, Inc. can conduct Physical Security/Vulnerability Assessments and provide active shooter trainings including Active Shooter Prevention and Response, A.L.I.C.E. Certified Training, and Critical Trauma Intervention Skills for your personnel. You can even Build Your Own Training to cover multiple training topics, specific to your school/organization needs. Contact or call 330-255-1101 to speak with one of our security specialists today!