Artificial intelligence (AI), once considered a very foreign concept, is seemingly everywhere now. AI adoption is increasing, and shows no signs of stopping. From virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa, to enhanced operational efficiencies across multiple industries, to autonomous vehicles, healthcare diagnostics, robotics and more, AI has established itself as an integral part of our everyday lives.

Within the security and life-safety sphere, in particular, AI-powered analytics are proving especially powerful. Perhaps one of its most valuable contributions is the way it is transforming remote video monitoring capabilities. AI-powered analytics are making video surveillance much smarter and more efficient than ever before. The timing couldn’t be better.

Demand for enhanced security solutions has been booming in recent years, as more businesses, municipalities, and even homeowners are increasingly opting to equip their premises with video surveillance cameras. But who’s minding the store? Traditionally, monitoring operators have been tasked with keeping watchful eyes on video feeds, which can not only be expensive but also vulnerable to human error.

The good news is that technology is changing that trajectory. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI)-powered camera systems with advanced intelligence technology enables the cameras to examine the video footage in real time, spot unusual or suspicious activity, and respond to them automatically and immediately.

The benefits are far-reaching, delivering many attractive capabilities to end users. False alarms, for instance, have been a challenge for a very long time. But because AI-powered cameras can intelligently distinguish between harmless movements and potentially threatening activity, the incidence of false alarms is trending downward.

The cost savings to end users is substantial; surveillance systems equipped with AI operate 24/7, eliminating the need for operators to oversee activity and thereby the associated staffing costs.

In addition to these perks that AI-powered analytics provide, perhaps the most transformative benefit is how AI is enhancing operational efficiencies and delivering unprecedented business intelligence. In the retail sector, for example, AI is offering enhanced situational awareness of activity taking place within a store location and its outdoor perimeter, while also delivering actionable insights into in-store activity. Edge AI cameras and AI box devices supported by deep learning algorithmsare giving retailers new insights, enabling them to reduce theft, improve their operational efficiency, and better safeguard staff and customers. They’re not only supporting more efficient security and loss prevention policies, but are also facilitating a better understanding of in-store activity and customer behavior. Analyzing this behavioral data enables management to customize new strategies and recommendations, fine-tune marketing initiatives, and increase customer engagement by better meeting their needs.

Similarly, AI capabilities that deliver actionable intelligence are also serving the needs of end users across many other industry sectors. In an age where cyberthreats are becoming more prevalent, AI — by proactively identifying threats and irregularities in real time — is empowering enterprises to better safeguard their sensitive data while also automating once tedious compliance requirements and processes.

AI-powered analytics are continuing to transform remote video monitoring, and as technologies continue to advance even further, AI will become an even more integral part of daily life.