Artificial intelligence (AI) is a huge topic across industries, and physical security is no exception. As with most uses of AI, in the security world there are many ways AI can make processes more efficient and effective, and there are also several aspects in which AI still has a long way to go. While its true impact in physical security is still taking shape, AI capabilities already play a role in device selection and system design in 2025.
Understanding where AI currently stands is essential in determining the best security solutions for your organization. Here’s a breakdown of where AI is making a real difference in security today, and where the technology still has room to grow.
In today’s security environments, AI is being applied most effectively in video surveillance. A few of the standout capabilities that are already changing the game include person tracking, smart search, and pattern recognition.
Before AI, piecing together the whereabouts of a person or item across a facility involved gathering footage from various cameras, aligning timestamps, and performing rigorous (and often time-consuming) analysis of each frame. Now, AI can track individuals and items across multiple cameras throughout a facility in a much shorter amount of time. Whether someone is walking from the lobby to a conference room or moving between departments, AI can identify and follow them across different feeds.
In practice, this capability significantly reduces the time and effort involved in incident investigations. Instead of scrolling through hours of footage, security teams can let AI piece together a subject’s movements automatically.
Need to find a “man in an orange backpack” or a “woman in a red jacket”? AI can isolate those individuals based on descriptions and visual patterns, making it much easier to locate relevant footage. As more data is gathered over time, this analytic will continue to be refined offering improved results.
This type of functionality turns traditional video review from a time-consuming and manual process into a fast, efficient task.
Security team bandwidth seldom allows for nonstop analysis of every video stream, 24/7. But with AI video analytics, it’s possible to flag suspicious patterns and behaviors for faster follow-up.
Advanced video analytics can detect unusual behavior, alert on a package left behind, recognize license plates, identify loitering, or trespassing in restricted areas, and even detect when a door is propped open. AI can flag these patterns in real time so that your team can respond as quickly as possible, providing a proactive layer of security.
Despite its promise, AI in physical security still has significant limitations. Those limitations boil down to a lack of integration across all business objectives and functions.
Currently, AI is primarily used for traditional security tasks, mainly video surveillance. While this use can make a security team more efficient, there’s still a missing connection to broader business outcomes.
As technology continues to advance, teams might be able to integrate security data with further business objectives and use AI to:
On the whole, industry solutions have not yet cracked the code on how to apply AI in ways that enhance operations beyond risk mitigation and incident response. Imagine a security system that not only tracks foot traffic but feeds data into space planning, retail optimization, or HR compliance. These integrated solutions lie right around the corner.
For both manufacturers and organizations seeking security solutions, AI has become an important consideration for future planning. On the manufacturing side, many vendors now have dedicated data science and analytics teams working to bring AI deeper into their product offerings for both video and access control.
The rise of AI is also accelerating the shift toward cloud-hosted solutions. For AI to be effective, it needs access to large volumes of data for training and real-time analysis. Cloud environments offer the scalability and connectivity AI systems require to deliver real results.
This dynamic is pushing organizations to rethink their infrastructure—moving away from isolated, on-premises systems and toward cloud platforms that can support smarter security operations.
AI is no longer an experimental concept in physical security. It’s here, making an impact in daily security processes for countless organizations. The next step? Letting that impact expand into every facet of the business, without silos preventing the most efficient use of all data.
Ready to take the next step in efficiency and security? Get in touch today.