AI-Powered Surveillance: The Future of Security is Already Here
Not so long ago, the high-tech surveillance we saw in films felt like pure science fiction. Cameras that could track individuals across a city, systems that could identify threats before they happened: those ideas belonged in dystopian thrillers, not in our world.
But here we are. AI-powered surveillance isn’t coming; it has already arrived and is evolving at an astonishing pace.
For decades, CCTV technology improved in slow, predictable steps. A sharper image, better storage, and wider coverage. Useful, yes, but hardly revolutionary. Now, that’s changed. And for those in the security industry, it’s time to sit up and pay attention because this is happening fast.
Like so many in our industry, we keep a sharp eye on new technologies. We attend major industry events, even sending delegates to events in far-flung places like Intersec in Dubai, to keep our fingers on the pulse. It was there this year that this acceleration became most apparent.
Over the past months and longer, all the camera manufacturers we engage with have been talking up their advanced AI-enhanced systems. Artificial intelligence is making its way into many technologies, but in CCTV, its impact is particularly dramatic.
The next generation of these systems do more than record; they perceive. They can recognise suspicious behaviour and identify weapons. Some systems incorporate thermal imaging, allowing them to detect weapons even if hidden beneath clothing. It’s no wonder AI is becoming the must-have feature in CCTV.
The benefits are too significant to ignore. Smarter cameras, better detection, fewer blind spots. Every major manufacturer is integrating AI, and from this point forward, the technology is only going to improve.
But what does this mean for CCTV operators? As humans, we are fallible; anyone can miss key moments in realtime. AI doesn’t. Instead of replacing operators, AI acts as a powerful support tool. An extra set of digital eyes that never tire, never blink, and never get distracted. It analyses footage in real time, raising alerts to human operators the moment something unusual happens, and it does so with incredible accuracy.
AI-assisted search functions promise to make security investigations far more efficient. Instead of manually sifting through hours of footage, operators can simply describe a suspect’s appearance, such as a red backpack or a grey jacket, and retrieve relevant clips in seconds.
What once took hours of painstaking review can now be done in moments, allowing teams to act faster and more decisively.
Adoption of these systems will be fast, and doesn’t require major infrastructure changes at all. Instead of replacing entire systems, they offer AI-powered processing units – small, powerful ‘AI boxes’ that can be plugged into existing CCTV networks.
These devices allow AI to look out at the world through the existing cameras. The existing hardware remains in place while the software does the heavy lifting. This is low-barrier, high-impact, and that’s a recipe for rapid adoption.
We will need to work closely with their IT and compliance departments, and the AI specialists within those teams, to ensure AI-enhanced surveillance is implemented safely and effectively. Having the expertise to manage the technology, train staff, and navigate evolving regulations is essential.
But even smaller businesses stand to benefit. Many AI-enhanced surveillance solutions are becoming more accessible, with cloud-based services that eliminate the need for in-house expertise, making the technology more readily available.
As the science fiction writer William Gibson famously said, ‘The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed.’ Right now, AI-powered CCTV is being rapidly adopted in certain sectors and regions, while others are still catching up.
But one thing is clear: it soon will be everywhere.
Peter Smyth
Director of Innovation &Technology
Darren Martin
Director of Operations, Security,
Bidvest Noonan
