Proactive security: Why AI’s a game-changer for surveillance

International Security Journal hears exclusively from icetana AI.

For decades, surveillance has been a largely reactive process, delaying responses and failing to prevent incidents from occurring.

Personnel often rely on post-incident investigations, combing through hours of video footage after an event has occurred.

Labour shortages, operator fatigue, false alarms and growing complexities in surveillance have overwhelmed security teams worldwide.

A recent report, The State of Physical Security Entering 2024 by Pro-Vigil, revealed that 25% of businesses reported a rise in physical security incidents in 2023 and over half expressed heightened concerns about crime compared to the previous year.

At a time when high-risk environments such as safe cities, shopping centres, educational institutions, hotels and the like face mounting security challenges, a better solution is needed.

AI is fundamentally transforming the way we address security challenges.

Companies like icetana AI are leading this shift by introducing scalable, real-time solutions tailored for large-scale operations.

Its advanced AI surveillance systems transform passive monitoring into proactive security by continuously learning and adapting to dynamic environments.

These systems establish a baseline of ‘normal’ behaviour for each camera feed, identifying anomalies such as unauthorised access or unusual crowd movement in real-time. Security teams can now intervene before incidents escalate.

The benefits of AI surveillance are already being realised in large-scale environments.

In the Middle East, property managers using icetana AI’s technology report significant improvements in incident response and resource management.

By centralising operations and leveraging real-time anomaly detection, surveillance teams have reduced operator workloads while enhancing accuracy and response times.

One of the most significant advantages of AI-powered surveillance is its ability to provide real-time alerts.

Whether it’s a dispute, unauthorised entry or suspicious behaviour, these systems can flag incidents immediately, enabling teams to act before situations escalate.

This adaptability is critical for spaces like shopping malls or large campuses, where the flow of people and activities constantly changes.

By identifying patterns within days, AI can proactively address potential security threats without requiring manual intervention.

Solving security’s toughest challenges

AI surveillance systems are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap left by traditional setups.

They empower teams to operate more effectively and efficiently by tackling key pain points and modernising surveillance practices.

Traditional surveillance systems frequently overwhelm teams with false positives, flagging routine or irrelevant activity as potential threats.

This constant stream of false alerts leads to fatigue and reduced vigilance.

AI-powered systems address this issue by learning the behaviour of monitored environments, eliminating irrelevant noise and significantly reducing false alarms.

Manual monitoring of hundreds of video feeds is both inefficient and unsustainable.

Operators face information overload, leading to missed incidents and slower response times.

AI minimises this burden by focusing attention on flagged anomalies, allowing teams to prioritise critical events and improve efficiency.

Managing surveillance across large or multiple sites is increasingly complex, particularly in high-traffic environments like shopping centres, campuses and transport hubs.

AI systems leverage powerful computing to monitor thousands of cameras simultaneously, delivering real-time insights without compromising performance.

Platforms that integrate seamlessly with existing systems, like icetana AI’s, further enhance scalability and streamline operations.

Post-incident investigations have historically been time-consuming, requiring teams to sift through hours of footage to locate relevant events.

AI surveillance tools, such as icetana AI’s Forensic Quick Find, revolutionise this process by enabling rapid searches across multiple camera networks.

What once took hours of manual review can now be achieved in moments, saving valuable time and resources.

This capability allows teams to respond faster, resolve incidents efficiently and allocate their efforts where they are needed most.

Redefining surveillance

AI-driven surveillance systems offer advanced tools tailored to the needs of modern environments.

Real-time monitoring ensures anomalies are identified as they occur, allowing teams to address incidents proactively.

Forensic search capabilities enable rapid identification of individuals or events across camera networks, streamlining investigations.

Products like facial and license plate recognition strengthen access control, while comprehensive analytics transform surveillance data into actionable insights.

These innovations help organisations refine safety protocols, optimise resource allocation and enhance overall security.

AI agents and full automation

The surveillance industry is advancing toward a future of full automation. AI-driven systems have already made it possible for small teams to monitor thousands of cameras simultaneously.

In the next 3-5 years, advancements in AI agents, powered by technologies like GPT, will take this further.

These intelligent agents will not only identify anomalies but also analyse and respond to them with minimal human oversight.

This evolution will shift security teams away from manual monitoring toward decision-making and strategy. AI will handle the heavy lifting, ensuring that teams can focus on higher-priority tasks while maintaining a heightened level of security.

While the benefits of AI surveillance are clear, privacy remains a critical concern.

Ethical AI systems address this challenge by focusing on behaviour patterns rather than personal identification.

Algorithms can detect anomalies without relying on personally identifiable information (PII), ensuring privacy and security are maintained in balance.

Additionally, retention policies allow organisations to control how long data is stored, aligning with regulatory standards and privacy frameworks.

Safer and more efficient

AI-driven surveillance is transforming high-risk environments, empowering security teams to move from reactive to proactive models.

By reducing false alarms, streamlining operations and enabling real-time responses, AI is overcoming many of the limitations of traditional surveillance systems.

The result is safer, more efficient, and more resilient public spaces.

As the demand for smarter, scalable and ethical surveillance grows, solutions like those offered by icetana AI are leading the way.

Their self-learning capabilities, real-time tools and future-focused innovations are paving the path toward a new era of proactive security, one where incidents are prevented, resources are optimised and safety is redefined for the modern world.

icetana AI

icetana AI produces AI video analytics software to help security and IT teams manage large scale surveillance networks.

Security operators often have thousands of cameras to monitor and IT teams need to configure these camera streams. icetana AI offers a practical solution.

Its AI technology learns what’s normal for each camera, identifying and reporting any unusual or potentially dangerous events in real-time.

Designed to handle large scale surveillance networks, icetana AI’s tech eliminates the need for individual camera stream configurations or rule-setting.

The company provides AI video analytics software, hardware and cloud solutions, serving diverse industries including guarding services, retail, hospitality, public safety, transportation, education and large enterprise.

For more information about icetana AI and its innovative solutions, visit: https://www.icetana.ai/en-au