Vice President, Cameras and Computer Vision at Vivint Smart Home.
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Imagine for a minute you own a junkyard. You deal in spare parts and scrap metal — other people's trash is your treasure. And, like any treasure, you need to protect it. But the challenge is your inventory comes in two-ton packages. This isn't a jewelry store where everything is kept locked in a safe.
So, you decide to invest in nature's oldest security system: a junkyard dog. You want something menacing-looking, of course. You put a chain around your dog's neck, give him a name like Brutus, and feed him just enough so that he has an appetite, should any thieves come by.
And one night, they do. Brutus is ready. He spots the intruders and he licks his chops like it's time for a midnight snack. But instead of charging at the bad guys, he lays down and quietly barks. Sure, Brutus is aware of the burglars, but he doesn't actually do anything to prevent them from stealing or damaging your property. He might look like a deterrent, but in reality, your security system is a harmless puppy.
Now, imagine your home security system suffers from the same vulnerability — it can alert you to potential threats but fails at prevention. It may bark (or rather, ring an alarm), but it falls short when it comes to features that actively stop theft before it happens. A home security system that's limited to awareness is just another piece of junk.
Security needs a redefinition. It's time to change our expectations of what we think security is and what it should do. It should be proactive, not reactive. It should focus on prevention, not just awareness. Would you rather be aware someone stole your package or prevent it from happening in the first place?
I've outlined three key areas where we can rethink security and how it functions in our lives: the role of AI in making systems more intelligent, the value of professional expertise and how to tailor systems to be more connected and engaged.
1. Using Artificial Intelligence In A More Intelligent Way
Why does AI matter for your security system? Every second counts. Criminals generally don't take their time.
An intelligent system can quickly identify what is a threat and what isn't and take appropriate deterrent action. For example, a camera designed to use light and sound to trigger a person's fight-or-flight response is a powerful use of AI — especially when it does so before something happens.
One of the challenges — as is always the case with AI — is that a computer is only as smart as its programming. It's easy to train a camera to detect people, but how does it determine who's a good guy and who's not? After all, you want Brutus charging at a porch pirate, not Grandma.
The trick is behavior. Someone who's engaged in suspicious activity acts suspicious. Think about your car door. You walk up to your car and don't think twice about opening the door and getting in. A criminal might approach slowly, checking their surroundings, then jiggling the handle first. AI can detect patterns of movement, and smart cameras can make smart decisions.
2. Connecting The Dots
Getting a doorbell camera might help combat theft at your front door, but what about the back door? What about your garage and all your windows? When all the pieces are linked and intelligently talk to one another, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Not having your system connected weakens your overall security. Individually operative pieces may be fine when you're home, but being able to manage everything remotely from a central location like an app gives you much more control.
This is where a professional consultation can make a difference. An expert can help you make sure everything works the way it should and that your smart home is as smart as possible.
In addition to increasing your system's intelligence with greater connectivity, a professional can provide best practices. Tips like where to point cameras for maximum coverage, where to put sensors, what types of alerts to set up, and how — all the little things that are the foundation of a first-rate security system.
3. Think Like A CEO
In his revolutionary work on the theory of innovation, Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen talked about hiring products to do a job. Think about the parts of your smart home the same way. You are the CEO — what are you hiring each part to do?
Rethinking what you expect out of your smart home is the last step in being a more savvy homeowner. This small change in perspective will help you get the most out of your tech. For example, are you hiring a camera to simply take video or to prevent theft? Do you have a smart lock on your front door because it's mechanically more secure or because you want to be able to remotely unlock it? These shifts are subtle but they make a big difference in how you think about your system.
Along with rethinking what you want each individual piece to do, consider what a connected smart home gives you holistically. Elevate the job of your entire system from awareness to prevention. Remember, you don't want Brutus only barking harmlessly — the job you hired him to do is prevent crime.
Awareness is not enough. Even if you have video evidence of a perpetrator stealing a package, you won't have much luck finding them or getting your package back.
Redefining Security
Raise your expectations of what your smart home can do and use these tips to go from awareness to deterrence and prevention. A system that only barks isn't effective, one that bites is better, but a fully connected, intelligent security and automation platform that actively prevents crime is the goal. Let AI augment your home's capabilities, learn from the experts and rethink what security really means.
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