Exploring the Future of Video
- By Matthew Cirnigliaro
- Jul 28, 2025
AI innovation is rapidly transforming video security. Edge-based AI centered on object detection excels at detecting people and vehicles to alert to threats like brandished guns or perimeter breaches. However, the onus is on the user to gather more details to fully understand the situation.
Enter GenAI. Generative AI uses cloud-based Large Language Models (LLM) to understand the context of what the camera sees. It follows simple prompts from the user to analyze the video feed more like a human would, without being trained on specific objects or behaviors. The system thinks like you, understanding the relationship between elements in a scene to detect unusual or critical events more accurately.
GenAI complements edge-based, application-specific video analytics, adding reasoning capabilities to help users find meaningful information in video footage. It goes beyond object detection – interpreting complex environments and providing insights about what is happening to enable proactive responses.
Customizable for Any Industry
The technology is highly customizable to meet user needs. Prompts can be open-ended or specific, showing what to watch and giving context to any situation. Users can inquire if any safety hazards are present, if an emergency vehicle has arrived on scene, if a crowd has formed in an area, to give just a few examples.
Imagine being able to find blocked aisles in warehouses or retail stores, improper material handling at industrial sites, the readiness of runways at airports, vandalism, theft or other safety risks. Timely alerts improve safety and efficiency by helping professionals find and manage a wide range of risks before they intensify. GenAI-enabled solutions offer versatility for airports, schools and universities, factories, logistics centers, city traffic management and many more applications and industries.
Following are examples of potential uses of GenAI-enabled video solutions to provide a glimpse into how this technology provides a versatile platform for understanding context across various scenarios. It can discern between events that need immediate attention and less pressing notifications to support security, safety, and operational teams in working smarter and more productively.
Building Security
Loitering detection is commonly used to alert security staff to a potential risk. Video solutions that use GenAI supplement this with an added layer that provides further insight into the risk. For example, it could inform that a person stopped briefly to tie their shoe, is actively spraying graffiti on an external wall, is trying to break into a vehicle in the parking lot or appears hurt or in distress.
Each of these events would prompt a different response from the staff responsible for the security and safety of a building. The shoe-tying would likely result in no response or simple scene monitoring, while graffiti spraying or a vehicle break-in would prompt staff to quickly go to the location or to contact local authorities. Similarly, the presence of an injured person would trigger those trained in emergency response to provide support. Solutions using GenAI help users figure out if something needs attention or if everything is normal. Understanding the context surrounding an alert provides the data needed to support informed decisions for a faster and more proper response.
Warehouse Safety
GenAI-enabled video solutions can also support safety enhancement in warehouses. While edge-based video analytics can detect an idle object or person in an aisle, solutions using GenAI can provide more information, such as alerting to an injured employee for a more immediate response.
Using a reference image for comparison, the system can also watch for improperly stored pallets or materials or cluttered aisles that pose a tripping hazard or impede movement. Together, these solutions provide a comprehensive approach to safety and situational awareness.
Traffic Incident Detection
Smart cities can use GenAI-enabled solutions to understand the causes of slow-moving or stopped traffic.
While edge-based analytics can detect slow or stopped vehicles, solutions using GenAI can inform if the congestion is the result of adverse weather conditions, a road-side vehicle fire, or a severe accident blocking lanes of traffic. Understanding the cause of the vehicle back-up helps the traffic monitoring center to dispatch the proper staff to the scene to help alleviate the situation.
Integration into Organizational Processes
With integration into organizational processes, GenAI-enabled video solutions can trigger other systems to display possible actions. Alerts to events, enhanced situational awareness, and suggested response protocols better equip users to mitigate risk and notify responsible staff to address potential problems before they escalate.
Users can understand unfolding events and quickly find the best course of action – resulting in increased efficiency, streamlined decision-making, and reduced response times.
Generative AI is not just a technological advancement — it supports a shift in how video solutions can address security, safety, and operational challenges and speed up incident resolution. It is the next generation of AI-enabled video solutions that empower proactive responses and bring even greater value to users.
This article originally appeared in the July / August 2025 issue of Security Today.