How Generative AI Can Help Win The Battle Against Growing Instances of Burglary in 2023

Burglaries are on the rise in the UK, but could generative AI hold the key to delivering greater levels of security for properties in the face of intrusion?

Office for National Statistics data shows that instances of burglary in England and Wales have increased by 4% for the year ending March 2023, indicating that property owners are at increasing risk of having their homes or businesses targeted by criminals. 

In total, 275,919 were reported in England and Wales over this time period, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis in the UK has prompted concerns that more ‘high harm’ crime could be on the way as rising everyday expenses drive criminal activity. 

Fortunately, help may be on the way in the form of one of the 21st Century’s most transformative technological innovations: generative AI. 

Coupled with cloud technology, generative AI tools may be capable of taking existing security measures to the next level in combatting the rise in burglaries experienced throughout the UK. 

But how is generative AI set to transform security measures for property owners up and down the country? Let’s take a look at emerging use cases that highlight the potential of AI as a significant deterrent to burglars: 

The Next Generation of Motion Detection

Artificial intelligence will have plenty of influence when it comes to developing the next generation of anti-burglar motion detection systems for properties. 

“Currently, AI is most widely used to enhance video capabilities,” explains Paul Williams from Nice North America.

“AI has a lot to offer in shaping the future of smart home technology. Current smart home solutions don’t have the capabilities to adapt as the customer’s needs and behaviours change in the home. With AI, we can look at how we can customise and optimise solutions to evolve as their habits and preferences change to create a truly connected and automated whole home experience.”

We can already see a form of generative AI at work in modern motion detection systems like the Arlo Pro 4 security camera. 

Using Arlo Secure’s system, the camera utilises a 160-degree field-of-view and AI to learn familiar objects, like your car, your dog, and the neighbour’s cat, helping to eliminate false alarm notifications at 4 am while helping you to take security alerts seriously when one does occur. 

In addition to video capabilities, Arlo also identifies suspicious noises to send as alerts, meaning that burglars that manage to avoid its field of view may trip up by making noise. 

With an increasing number of open source projects tapping into the potential of edge AI to detect objects with more efficiency, this technology will combine with generative AI more in the future to create an intelligent system that responds in a bespoke way to emerging threats. 

Tapping into the Potential of Smart Locks

Smart locks are another AI innovation that has the potential to be taken to the next level through the power of generative AI. 

Unlike traditional house locks, smart locks can be connected to smartphones, fingerprints, facial recognition, and even voice recognition to provide extra security to properties. They can even detect when the lock is being tampered with by burglars and send a notification to relevant parties as to whether or not it should remain locked. 

The artificial intelligence technology will be capable of utilising machine learning to recognise property owners as they approach and unlock doors in advance, or, use generative AI to create a verification process on the fly to face up to varying levels of threats. 

These smart locks can be used in tandem with strong steel or brass deadbolts that can provide a stronger level of security, and while this may involve door key replacement from a specialist locksmith, you may find that you won’t need to use your key as often with the help of AI. 

Eliminating Human Error for Property Owners

One of the biggest threats we face when it comes to home security is, well, ourselves. Human error can account for giving burglars an easy ride when it comes to assessing whether or not they can target our homes, and AI can be a great tool in preventing potentially damaging mistakes. 

As generative AI matures, it will be included in increasing levels of technology services on top of its already existing levels of adoption among firms like Microsoft and Blackberry. 

This means that generative AI can become a strong long-term companion to us as we navigate the world around us and the World Wide Web, too. Instantly recognising security threats online and redacting or encrypting information on our behalf to ensure that personal information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. 

We broadcast much of our lives online, from making the times we’re away on holiday common knowledge to revealing key secrets about the security flaws in our homes and businesses without even realising. 

AI will grow to keep both our belongings safe and ourselves, too. With the UK facing growing instances of burglary and a cost-of-living crisis that may result in a further increase in crime rates, the arrival of generative AI may be timely in ensuring that we have confidence in keeping our prized possessions away from harm.

All the photos in the article are provided by the company(s) mentioned in the article and are used with permission.