By Matias Klein, Co-founder and CEO, Kognition
PHILADELPHIA, PA – April19, 2023 – Cities and businesses grapple with ongoing issues of public safety and security, a problem which only seems to be getting worse over time. Lack of funding, the limited availability of security or law enforcement personnel and the complex nature of the threat landscape are just some of the challenges facing those living and working in areas prone to crime of all types.
Proactive and enhanced safety and security monitoring is an increasingly important requirement for any public or private space, but the solution won’t be found in just more of the same traditionally ineffective methods. Legacy CCTV cameras, that are often not monitored, and are sometimes not even operational, are usually just used as forensic tools. There also is just simply not enough money to “flood the zone” with more police or to installation of better door locks or more cameras, a new approach needs to be considered to achieve different results.
As public awareness grows about the integration of AI technology into all aspects of our lives (think ChatGPT, etc.) it’s interesting that there is any hesitancy to apply this commercially available technology to our most pressing public safety concerns. Part-time security guards, reactive access control and forensic video surveillance are not solutions for the present, or for the emerging security challenges we will face in the future.
Enterprise-grade AI platforms like Kognition SPS confer the ability to monitor and respond to threats in real-time. Using intelligent software, live data can now inform us about threats as they unfold. This allows us to deploy our limited personnel and resources in a highly targeted and intelligent way. And, by mitigating threats in real-time, we can prevent small problems from turning into unmitigated disasters.
Anomalous patterns and trends can be quickly detected when unexpected crowds form, unauthorized access attempts can be reported in real-time, after-hours activity can be immediately detected, and even known bad actors can be reported when they show up at businesses or other places where we expect to be safe. What if instead of simple hiring more guards, we make the guards already deployed more informed and provide them with visibility and information they need to respond when a threat is detected?
AI models using artificial neural network technology can learn and be trained to detect virtually any type of threat. These systems are highly accurate and can be deployed at a fraction of the cost of traditional security systems and personnel. These tools can also be deployed in a manner that protects privacy and governance models to virtually any standard.
Is it important to know if someone “slips and falls” in your building or lobby? Is it useful to detect looting, tailgating, long lines, crowds forming, or emergency vehicles? The use cases for this technology are virtually unlimited and commercially available today. The first step in addressing any problem is often understanding the detailed and specific nature of the problem. AI enabled video surveillance platforms should be recognized as a key technology that is highly effective, relatively inexpensive to deploy, and highly adaptive to both privacy concerns and the rapidly changing threat landscape.
AI tools that allow you to write a term paper faster or debug code more quickly are nice to have. Having the peace of mind knowing that an advanced, enterprise-grade AI is always running to ensure your safety and security, as well as that of your employees, customers and guests, is imperative.
