Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for a while now. Yet it wasn’t in the public eye until large language models (LLMs) and services like ChatGPT arrived. Once that happened, it was game on. Now AI is virtually everywhere. It’s even making its way into home security. But is that good?
Don’t get me wrong. AI is a very impressive technology. But like any technology, it becomes problematic if people lean on it too much. It is possible to have too much of a good thing. That may be where we are headed with AI.
As a writer, I can use all sorts of AI tools to help me be faster and more efficient at what I do. But I’ve discovered that the more I lean on external tools to help me with things like grammar, checking my spelling, and even generating content ideas, the less sharp my writing skills become. I start losing my edge. So I avoid those tools and rely on my own brain, skills, and knowledge.
Where AI Can Help
AI is a great tool if used properly. In the home security arena, it is already making waves. Here are a few examples of where AI can help home security improve:
1. Better Threat Detection
Manufacturers have been building AI into security cameras for a couple of years. Today’s best cameras rely on the technology to distinguish between people, pets, vehicles, etc. Some can even identify specific behaviors that would previously trigger false alarms. In essence, AI capabilities lead to better threat detection.
2. More Personalization
Sticking with video cameras, AI-power facial recognition makes for greater personalization. Facial recognition can be linked to smart locks for more personalized control. Security cameras can be linked to it to identify and recognize family members. Various security system alerts can be personalized for specific members of the family.
3. Natural Language Control
AI’s use of LLMs and natural language processing now makes it possible for smart speakers to be integrated with natural language control. In essence, smart speakers now have more advanced capabilities to understand human language and respond in a more conversational way. The advances in natural language control are gradually making it easier to manage an entire smart home system with one’s voice.
Where AI Could Cause Problems
On balance, AI being integrated into home security and automation is a good thing. Anything that enhances an electronic device’s ability to make a home more secure is positive. But AI can also cause problems.
Personally, my biggest fear is that people become so dependent on AI that they stop thinking about their own security. That is a problem.
Paying Attention Matters
Imagine a consumer whose home is equipped with a Vivint home security system. As fantastic as his security system is, he still needs to arm it when he goes to bed at night and when he leaves for work in the morning. Failing to arm the system means it doesn’t do him any good.
One of the keys to maintaining a safe home is paying attention. It’s being always aware of one’s surroundings and potential threats. Like the homeowner who forgets to arm his security system, I fear that we will become so dependent upon AI that we stop paying attention.
Criminals will always find a way around hardware and software. It is what they do. So even with the best security systems, we still need to participate in our own security. Our collective tendency to rely more heavily on AI is real. And the more we do, the less safe we are.