AI in physical security: Best applications for AI-powered technology

What is AI in physical security?

AI in physical security refers to the use of artificial intelligence to help security solutions, such as video security, access control, smart sensors and more, to automatically detect and respond to threats. It enables organizations to transition from passive, reactive models to proactive security by analyzing large amounts of data, identifying patterns and managing real-time alerts.

Why are AI security tools necessary?

Traditional security postures, where operators observe several camera feeds and respond to events after the fact, have proved to be too laborious, inefficient and prone to human error. In a world where security threats are rising in number and severity, security teams are under severe pressure to do more with less: prevent incidents, collect evidence, cut costs and provide strong ROI on investments.

AI security technology is a game changer. It transforms security operations, enabling teams to:

• Automate video security, requiring minimal operator oversight
• Detect potential threats based on learned patterns
• Reduce false alarms by focusing on genuine threats
• Automate workflows to prevent a threat from escalating

By leveraging AI for workplace safety, organizations can analyze large amounts of data in real time, extracting insights to bolster security and operational efficiency. This empowers teams to expedite decision-making, optimize resource utilization, reduce costs and, importantly, prevent a threat from affecting the safety of people, property and assets.

Best applications of AI in physical security

AI supports multiple use cases in physical security. Over the past decade, the technology has evolved from simply supporting fingerprint scans in physical access control systems to transforming safety and security operations.

Video security

In modern video security operations, AI-powered video analytics play a vital role. Often built into cameras or video management systems (VMS), the analytics software helps security teams to:

• Detect potential threats, including intrusions and suspicious behavior.
• Identify objects and humans in a camera scene.
• Quickly find footage based on appearance search.
• Read vehicle license plate information.
• Observe safe working practices, such as PPE compliance.

As a result of these applications, security personnel can expedite responses to events, reliably observe security 24/7, quickly carry out investigations and support daily operations. The proactive and autonomous nature of AI-powered video security also means security teams can focus on their duties, other than just observing live camera feeds all shift-long.

Furthermore, AI-enabled video analytics can analyze historical data on previous incidents to identify existing vulnerabilities that organizations should seek to correct to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

Access control

Organizations can increase site security and provide seamless access to authorized personnel by using AI to enhance access control. An AI-powered access control solution can support biometric authentication methods, including:

• Facial recognition
• Fingerprint scan
• Retinal scan
• Voice recognition

With the help of artificial intelligence in these access control security systems, organizations can make instant verification decisions, helping grant entry to those permitted and preventing potential intruders from gaining access. 

By automating these real-time decisions, these systems enhance site safety while reducing the need for constant operator oversight. Additionally, AI-powered access control solutions demonstrate greater reliability and security compared to legacy systems, as they minimize false alarms to help prevent unauthorized breaches.

Weapons detection

Security teams can use AI-powered weapons detection software, integrated with IP security cameras, to detect and identify brandished or concealed weapons. The AI software analyzes real-time images to identify any characteristics of a weapon, such as the shape and outline.

This provides security personnel with the situational awareness they need to initiate an informed response within seconds, such as a site lockdown and notifying law enforcement, to negate the threat and help keep people safe. 

Smart sensors

Security professionals have used AI-enabled smart sensors, also known as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, to provide comprehensive situational awareness across facilities. These devices collect real-time data about emerging threats. They use AI to analyze this data and trigger automated alerts if they detect a genuine threat, which notifies security teams about an unfolding situation.

Advanced systems can feature multiple sensors in one device, with the most common being:

• Vape and smoke sensors: Detects when vape and smoke are present in the air.
• Air quality sensor: Analyzes indoor air quality to identify when pollutants may be present.
• Motion sensor: Detects movement in restricted areas and trespassing.
• Sound sensor: Detects noise, such as glass breaking, shouting, gunshots and more.
• Occupancy sensor: Captures data on real-time building occupancy levels.

4 steps to implementing AI into physical security

For a seamless integration of AI into physical security, organizations should follow these four key steps:

1. Perform a security risk assessment

Begin by conducting an extensive physical security risk assessment. This process allows your leaders and security personnel to identify potential vulnerabilities that bad actors could target. After identifying weak points, your organization can establish relevant security goals.

2. Assess security technology and implement AI solutions

Audit your existing physical security solutions to determine where AI can fit in to support achieving your objectives. The audit will also help you understand whether your existing solutions can perform the tasks you need to help protect your people, property and assets.

Alongside equipment tests and penetration testing, pay attention to ensuring every security technology supports the next. For example, legacy camera hardware or poor network infrastructure can render modern AI-driven security systems ineffective. To maintain optimal performance, consider upgrading your legacy technology so that your organization is protected with AI-powered physical security solutions.

3. Train and educate your team

Once the new AI-enabled security systems are in place, facilitate training programs and emergency drills to ensure the personnel who use the technology are well-versed in operating them.

This ensures that all essential staff understand the technology’s operation and are prepared to act effectively during a genuine security incident.

4. Analyze performance and make adjustments

Artificial intelligence in physical security requires ongoing oversight to identify potential failures or irregularities. To maintain the long-term effectiveness of your AI security tools, it is key to implement maintenance schedules to carry out fixes and make adjustments to your technologies.

Key compliance regulations and standards

Deploying AI in physical security raises potential privacy concerns because of the large amount of data collected by the technology. To strike a balance between necessary data collection and preserving privacy rights, organizations must comply with industry standards, such as HIPAA, and government regulations, such as GDPR.

In recent years, regulations have focused increasingly on AI applications, such as the EU AI Act. Creating risk assessments and mitigation practices, using high-quality datasets and sharing detailed information on models are among its requirements, which help ensure responsible use and that ethical standards and privacy compliance are met.

Failure to comply with regulations and standards can leave organizations vulnerable to significant financial penalties being levied against them, alongside the reputational damage that would follow.

To help organizations comply with regulations and standards, there are some key best practices to follow:

• Teams should implement AI physical security systems while considering privacy.
• Inform individuals about the use of AI, detailing how you collect, use and store data to ensure transparency.
• Implement strict data governance policies to protect valuable information.
• Choose trusted vendors who follow responsible AI principles.
• Use physical security solutions where the AI models have been trained on high-quality, diverse datasets to minimize bias and improve accuracy.
• Regularly audit and update your AI systems and apply robust cybersecurity measures.

Enhance security operations with AI

The landscape of physical security is being reshaped by the potential of AI. It offers improved threat detection, operational efficiency and risk management and is fast becoming a cornerstone of modern security strategies. 

While it represents a significant advancement, it remains a tool that requires human oversight and a commitment to ongoing improvement. Additionally, privacy concerns and biases must be addressed and technical challenges overcome to maximize the potential of the technology.