Businesses Are Wondering if AI Security Makes People Feel Safe

Venue security is a massive effort, requiring numerous observant workers, specialized equipment and a deep understanding of characteristics such as the number and location of entrances and exits. It’s no surprise that some companies have artificial intelligence (AI) products to help — but do they make people feel safer, and how well do they work?

AI Applications in Venue Security

Many AI venue security options streamline conventional activities that keep people safer, such as by helping staff check bags more efficiently or alerting them to unusual circumstances captured on the building’s security cameras.

However, other uses indirectly connect to venue security. In one example, a venue on the campus of Ohio State University began using AI crowd control solutions to measure waiting times at concession stands and restrooms. One finding was that the average wait time for a particular men’s restroom was less than 90 seconds, but the maximum duration was more than five times longer.

Venue staff primarily use this kind of AI to enhance visitor experiences, such as adding more point-of-service stations to concession stands or sending more cleaners to check the restrooms during the busiest times.

However, overseeing these aspects can also impact security. A smooth experience won’t deter someone who came to a venue with the primary intention of causing trouble. However, it could reduce the frustrations of a person who is already on edge, stopping them from getting so fed up that they do something they’ll regret.

Supplementing Other Venue Security Options

Even though AI is becoming increasingly popular and more accessible, venue security managers who use AI probably won’t scrap every tried-and-true security method — instead, the more likely solution is to combine options for the best results.

For example, security teams often use ultrahigh frequency two-way radios for efficient, effective communications. These devices enable clear transmissions through steel and concrete, making them ideal for venues.

It’s easy to imagine how someone monitoring AI-powered security systems might use one of those devices to ask people in other parts of the building to check out a potential threat.

Additionally, some AI-based solutions that quickly scan a person’s clothes or bags for prohibited items often require people to walk through narrow openings. Those setups may not suit people who use mobility aids or are taking strollers into the building.

In these cases, staff can still use conventional wands to detect threats. The best way to consider AI use cases is to view the technology as an addition rather than a replacement.

Does AI Improve Safety?

The product descriptions of AI venue safety products certainly sound impressive — but do they work well, and do people feel safer because of them? Some tech aspirations fall flat in the real world.

One example is the idea of autonomous taxis. Many users would love the option to sit back and relax during the drive. However, someone who tried that option in a Tesla said he wasted 15 minutes because the car took him down a closed street.

Taxi drivers are often experts in local infrastructure changes because their job depends on it. That’s not necessarily the case with AI algorithms. Even so, they can sometimes solve specific problems. Such was true with Evolv body scanners, which venue staffers began using once they realized many Cleveland Browns football team fans wear steel-toed boots. The metal in their footwear regularly triggered security scanners, slowing how quickly people could enter the stadium.

However, the machine learning algorithms in the newly adopted AI scanners can tell that those shoes are harmless. They also work 10 times faster than conventional methods, screening 3,600 people per hour.

This case shows that artificial intelligence could improve safety, especially if it reduces false alarms. Event patrons also appreciate that they can get through the gates faster and not feel as rushed while finding their seats.

Similarly, AI security cameras help reduce the number of staff patrolling the venue, particularly if they allow one person to monitor several simultaneous feeds and receive real-time alerts of suspicious activity.

That said, security professionals and those who hire them must be careful to only deploy AI after carefully considering the pros and cons.

Potential Privacy Risks

Some people have raised concerns about potential data breaches as AI security solutions become more widely adopted. Although the specifics vary by vendor, many products capture and keep video or photographic footage of event attendees. Since that content is often stored in the cloud, it generally gets transferred offsite and managed by tech vendors or their service providers.

In one 2022 case, United Kingdom regulators fined an AI security company $8 million for gathering more than 20 billion images of people’s faces to create a database. Unfortunately, business representatives did this without permission from or the knowledge of those included in the images. Additionally, the security company allowed law enforcement officers and commercial organizations to check photographs of specific individuals against the compiled information.

Even if the companies managing the data follow all best practices to safeguard it, things can still go wrong if hackers successfully target that information. That’s less likely to happen if AI companies maintain tight cybersecurity, but it’s not impossible. Seemingly endless files of event attendees’ faces would undoubtedly appeal to most cybercriminals, making breaches worth attempting.

Many people have had their credit card details stolen because a cybercriminal infiltrated a payment system. Since some companies now use facial recognition to authenticate people, footage from AI security platforms contains identifying information that needs protecting. Some venue patrons may feel uneasy knowing that cameras are capturing details about them, and keeping that information safe is out of their hands.

An Increasingly Available Technology

AI products are now widely available for venue security, but that doesn’t necessarily mean decision-makers should buy them. Instead, it’s wisest for them to evaluate their current challenges, budget, workforce size and other factors to determine whether AI could assist them and if the positive aspects outweigh the negatives.