The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Home Security

Speculation about new and more diverse ways to use AI are never stopping. Along with, of course, skepticism and fear of what putting so much control into the hands of purported artificial intelligence might mean. Whether it be protractors or detractors of the idea, however, neither can deny that the sheer potential for usefulness and advancement with AI in the picture is staggering. And one field of daily life that would definitely be changed is security. Not just the security of your home, mind you. But the security of your data and even privacy. So, let us take a look at what the role of artificial intelligence in home security might become.

The roles AI might play

Greater automation

The first and most obvious plus to the role of artificial intelligence in home security is the way it can boost its automation and, therefore, convenience. You can connect basically everything through an ‘Alexa’ already. And as the sophistication level of AI grows, it will be able to control more and more devices and features around your home. All the more, if you own a smart home that allows an even greater degree of integration of your AI assistance into your daily life. You can definitely find business opportunities here since making such homes is rapidly becoming more and more common and profitable. After all, why bother with passwords, manual locks, and similar when you can have an AI monitor access to your home?

Better surveillance

Another way to use AI in home security is better surveillance. Now, this might sound creepy, sure! However, security doesn’t only refer to denying access to your home or files, as we’ve already mentioned at the start. You need to keep your loved ones safe and sound. And anything that contributes to this can be counted as improving the security of your home. Remote patient monitoring AI is changing the world of healthcare, and it is a strong possibility that this will soon apply to child care, too. After all, not even the most diligent of parents can constantly monitor their kids. Knowing your young children are out of trouble and even being able to check on them quickly while they are at home can be invaluable. 

Quicker response time

Finally, AI is much better at quickly alerting authorities if your security protocols fail and you are in danger. Be it a fire, a break-in, or even a medical emergency. A sufficiently advanced AI can send a signal to the local police station and summon help in a matter of moments. Especially since they are, most often, connected to the internet. Speed is the most important thing if you have to dial the police or if your fire alarm fails to trigger. In this case, even if you have to count on your home warranty and you managed to choose the best option in the past to handle your losses, at least your life wouldn’t be in danger. Besides, quicker response times benefit your warranty too. A home warranty covers the repair and replacement costs of most essentials. Especially the repair and replacement of home systems, such as the electrical system.  

The disadvantages of using AI

The threat of hacking

Of course, not everything is perfect with AI’s integration into home security. AI is, ultimately, software. And any software can be hacked if it is connected to the internet. The risk rises because AI is most often connected to every device that uses Wi-Fi in your home. Not necessarily to your person. If you do have your AI assistant in charge of your security system, then yes, people can hack it to get into your home unnoticed. But the much bigger threat is to your cyber security. You do not need the lessons in cyber security the public sector can offer to know that it’s bad if someone gets into all your data. They can even work to steal your identity with so much info about you. Not to mention the immediate financial and social damage a hacked account can cause.

The potential malfunctions

Another potential drawback of the role of artificial intelligence in home security is simple malfunctions. As the experts from Consumer Opinion agree, AI is a step forward in overall human development and will be immensely helpful. But even now, we see embarrassing mistakes and malfunctions of the same land people in hot water. Talking after casually mentioning ‘Alexa’ or ‘Siri’ can definitely lead to embarrassment if your voice accidentally activates them, for example. You can brush it off with a laugh when it just ends in embarrassing Google results or mistakenly sent messages. But what about information leaks or accidental online orders? With further integration of AI into security systems, these problems need to go. At least to the extent that people can use them without concern. Or else, people will need to worry about accidentally leaving their homes unlocked.

The financial concerns

The final drawback of the role of artificial intelligence in home security is a simple one. How expensive will it be? Smart homes are currently selling for some truly staggering prices. The greater the degree of ‘smart’ integration, the higher the price. Then, what would the prices have to be like for a home with security operated by an AI? It can be reasonably assumed that the price of such a property will not be low. So, even if the security offered by an AI would be top-notch, not many people will be able to afford it. An argument can be made that prices will fall once the practice becomes more widespread. However, that still doesn’t mean it will become cheap to get AI-run security systems in the foreseeable future. They will just be ‘slightly’ more accessible. 

Final comment

As you can see, the role of artificial intelligence in home security might become either a blessing or a hidden curse for us in the future. The potential of AI makes it impossible to ignore them. But their inherent risks also make their full integration a somewhat frightening prospect.