Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor.
Whenever transformative technology emerges into an industry, there’s a natural worry that it could replace job roles or functions. When we look at physical security, there are interesting ways that new artificial intelligence (AI) and automation tools can enhance safety throughout facilities.
In the past couple of years, we’ve seen smart robots and mobile surveillance deployed in warehouses to identify security risks or hazards. They can notify crew or on-site leaders of unsafe structures, poor air quality, threats, and more. But their view is limited, and they can’t be everywhere at once.
The reality is, AI has the potential to elevate, not replace, the role of security personnel by automating routine, low-value tasks, such as monitoring hours of video footage or handling low-level surveillance. This gives security teams the time and bandwidth to engage in more critical, high-value work, such as strategic risk analysis, proactive threat management, and emergency response. This shift in responsibility creates a safer, more efficient environment and helps to make security roles more engaging and impactful.
The global market size for AI in video surveillance is expected to reach more than $16 billion by 2028, so let’s explore what AI-powered security looks like in facilities management.
Beyond Efficiencies: Long-Term Benefits of AI in Facility Security
Integrating AI into physical security operations offers numerous benefits that span beyond traditional task automation. By addressing inefficiencies and optimizing resources, AI can significantly improve safety outcomes while reducing costs. Here are some key advantages:
Real-Time Threat Detection
By analyzing video footage and data in real-time, AI systems can identify threats more quickly than manual monitoring ever could. For example, AI can flag suspicious behavior or detect unauthorized access instantly when security staff aren’t present, enabling security personnel to respond before incidents escalate. This proactive approach closes the gap in missed security streams, improves safety, and reduces the likelihood of costly damage or liability.
Resource Allocation
The ability for AI to analyze data sets over time helps teams prioritize resources effectively. Instead of spreading personnel thin across an entire facility, security professionals can focus their efforts where they are needed most—areas with the highest risk potential. This ensures that human resources are used strategically and increases the overall effectiveness of the security team.
Cost Savings
Every facility must continue to invest in security team training and equipment upgrades, but integrating AI into facility security can also provide significant cost reductions. By automating more than half of surveillance tasks, organizations can minimize the need for additional extensive third-party security staffing, cutting potentially millions of operational costs without compromising safety. Additionally, the precision, accuracy, and speed of AI-driven systems reduce the financial impact of incidents by deescalating them before they occur.
Reduced Burnout
When security professionals are freed from mundane tasks like constant camera monitoring, they are less likely to experience fatigue or burnout, which can compromise attentiveness and decision-making. By allowing AI to handle always-on surveillance, staff can remain alert and focused on higher-level responsibilities, such as analyzing data trends, implementing preventative measures, and coordinating emergency responses. This shift reduces the strain of tedious work while enhancing job satisfaction to create a healthier work environment.
A Second Set of Eyes for Smarter Security
When AI is used as an extra layer of vigilance, its advanced deep learning algorithms can process video footage immediately and reduce human error in identifying or responding to security incidents. The immediacy of recognizing and categorizing elements in video streams—such as vehicles, individuals, or objects of interest—ensures that nothing critical is missed, even in complex or fast-paced environments.
Traditionally, security teams could only respond to incidents after they occurred, often relying on labor-intensive manual monitoring that isn’t always feasible for facilities with slim resources or budgets. AI’s ability to analyze patterns and trends transforms security from a reactive operation into a proactive overarching strategy. It can identify early warning signs and provide predictive insights that enable teams to anticipate—or allocate resources accordingly—around possible threats.
AI analyzes past incidents to uncover behavioral patterns or anomalies that often precede security breaches. With this knowledge, security teams adjust protocols, reposition resources, and implement preventative measures to address vulnerabilities before they escalate. This proactive approach mitigates risks and empowers security professionals to play a more strategic role in safeguarding facilities and organizational operations.
The Future of Facility Security
The integration of AI into facility security is redefining the role of security professionals, paving the way for greater impact and career advancement. As AI takes on repetitive, administrative tasks, it frees security teams to focus on high-level responsibilities requiring strategic thinking and decision-making. Ultimately, it enhances the safety and efficiency of facilities and elevates the careers of those protecting them.
AI isn’t here to replace security professionals—it simply can’t. It’s here to collaborate with them. While AI excels at analyzing data and performing routine tasks, humans bring intuition, adaptability, and empathy—qualities that are essential for immediate, complex decision-making and crisis management.
Together, AI and human expertise create a stronger, more resilient security framework. By combining the precision and efficiency of AI with the judgment and experience of skilled professionals, organizations can achieve a level of safety and security that was previously unimaginable.
Egor Olteanu is a co-founder of VOLT AI, a time-of-incident video intelligence system designed to unify camera feeds on a single platform for continuous monitoring and threat detection. A U.S. Army veteran and former senior leader at Google X, Olteanu aims to drive advancements in AI and security technology for both public and private sectors.