Designing Secure Facilities With GenAI-Powered Video Analytics
Securing the modern facility goes beyond traditional defense; it demands a strategic shift towards a proactive security posture.
In security, response time is everything. Incidents escalate fast: a fire can double in size in a single minute, and many active assailant events conclude in 2-3 minutes. How long it takes security teams to identify, understand, and respond to an event determines how costly the incident becomes.
While more cameras, sensors, and alarms strengthen defenses, they also produce more data for operators to sift through. This is where Generative AI-powered video analytics can be invaluable in enabling staff of all skill levels to find important information in seconds.
The True Cost Of A Slow Response
When response is measured in minutes, the consequences are measured in millions. Beyond the physical damage, a slow response triggers significant operational, financial, and reputational crises.
The data paints a stark picture:
- 32% of surveyed businesses said they experienced project delays because of physical security incidents in 2023.
- The estimated average cost of addressing a physical security breach is $100,000.
- Hiring guards to provide extra post-breach security typically costs between $40-$100 per hour.
- 60% of customers are likely to switch brands following a physical security.
Relying on security teams to manually watch live cameras or search through hours of video can waste critical time during an incident. A truly secure facility requires a new strategy, shifting from simply recording events to delivering immediate, useful intelligence to operators.
The Limitations Of Traditional Security Systems
Traditional security systems are a good starting point, but they have a major flaw: they provide streams of data without context. This information overload quickly overwhelms security teams and leads to operator fatigue.
While programmed alerts can help, traditional video analytics are still limited. They follow rigid rules that often only detect simple objects like people or vehicles, making it hard to identify unique threats that are easy to miss, such as people falling, spills, and smoke.
To reduce operator fatigue and help staff focus on what’s important, teams need better tools. They need a way to quickly find the most critical information. This is where GenAI-powered analytics can make a real difference.
How GenAI Improves Security Operations
Modern solutions, like the GenAI-powered Avigilon Unity Visual Alerts, can significantly improve an organization’s security. This technology helps teams shift from reacting to incidents to proactively identifying threats before they escalate.
Visual Alerts acts as an intelligent assistant for security staff. It sends clear, actionable notifications about what’s happening on site, which reduces mental strain and improves overall awareness. It replaces the process of manually monitoring hundreds of live video cameras and flagging potential incidents. Instead, operators can simply provide descriptions of what they need to be alerted to in plain language to receive actionable events as they occur.
For example, an operator can set rules to alert for “signs of a broken window,” and the system will continuously scan the chosen cameras or sites for signs of that activity. This simple interface can be used to create new, custom alerts and automated triggers, telling the system what specific threats to look out for in the future, and what to do when a potential threat is detected.
Enhanced Security
With a platform like Avigilon Unity Video with Visual Alerts, a security system becomes a tool for preventing incidents from escalating, not just recording them. GenAI allows teams to define custom alerts for their specific needs, such as “signs of a fire” or “a person lying on the ground.” These simple descriptive phrases create powerful real-time notifications. No matter where operators are, the customizable nature means the right person will receive alerts with the exact video footage they need to make smart, fast decisions.
Improved Operational Efficiency
Since GenAI analytics can watch video feeds around the clock, security staff no longer have to constantly monitor screens. This frees them up to focus on more important tasks, like responding to incidents or being a visible presence on site, while still staying informed about the potential threats that matter most to the organization. Also, a single alert can be applied to all cameras across a facility at once. This saves significant time and money on setup and ensures that the entire system is working together to detect threats quickly and consistently.
Smarter, Safer Businesses
The value of GenAI extends beyond security applications. By generating alerts for key safety concerns, businesses can readily address potential problems to prevent incidents from occurring. For example, alerts detecting spills in retail stores or storage areas could help prevent a fall or other serious injury.
The applications for GenAI can also improve general business operations, reducing the burden on resources beyond security staff. Most security systems are able to detect if a person enters a restricted area, but what about objects? GenAI like Visual Alerts gives security teams the ability to receive a notification for events like boxes blocking an emergency exit, or stranded equipment – without the need for complicated rule setup.
The Future Is Proactive, Not Reactive
The old way of thinking about security – more cameras, more guards, more data – has reached its limit. In today’s world, simply reacting to threats is no longer enough. The future of security lies in shifting from a reactive stance to a proactive one, where technology empowers teams to stop incidents before they escalate.
GenAI-powered analytics provides this critical advantage, and we’ve only just scratched the surface of its potential. It cuts through the noise of endless data and delivers clear insights that allow teams to act decisively. This isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a new way of operating. By equipping your teams with tools that make it easy to find what matters, you transform security from a cost center into a strategic asset that actively protects your people, your property, and your bottom line with intelligent and timely action.
By Steven Mueller
Steven Mueller, Senior Product Manager for Avigilon Unity at Motorola Solutions, has over a decade of experience in product within the video security sector. He is deeply knowledgeable about how AI and other emerging technologies can be leveraged to address security challenges, and is committed to creating solutions that facilitate response to increase safety.