AI features prominently in all three features this month. In our cover story on access control — the second in our annual State of the Market series — SDM Managing Editor Bri Wilson writes that AI is one of five top growth drivers in the access control space. However, while it is being used in multiple ways in access control, the use cases are not yet as broad as they are with video.

“More advanced use cases are yet to be seen in the market — for example, figuring out if there are any abnormalities in the building traffic and then triggering advanced alerts,” says HID’s Ramesh Songukrishnasamy. “That’s still in the concept phase; we haven’t seen widespread adoption of these things yet. But those are the capabilities that I believe will come and make things a lot easier and more robust from a security operations perspective.”

Speaking of AI and video, our second feature is on that exact topic and expands on examples and use cases. If there is a vanguard for AI, it is definitely in the video surveillance space, with Jeremy White, founder and CEO of Pro-Vigil, seeing AI being adopted much more widely among customers. “They see speed to detection, ability to deter potential crime, and the scalability of being able to sift through millions of video motions events in seconds, being able to discern which ones are real, and act quickly,” he says in the article written by contributing writer Ed Finkel.

As the industry at large continues to grapple with the rapid rise of this disruptive technology, it made me wonder: How big of a deal is AI? Will it completely revolutionize the security and fire industry, or merely enhance it?

Finally, in my feature on fire alarm panels, the benefits of AI also came up quite a bit, with Potter Electric Signal’s Bob Teta noting, “AI hasn’t fully affected day-to-day panel operation yet, but we are actively researching what AI could safely and usefully do in this industry. The expectation is that it will influence both installation and maintenance, changing the way systems are diagnosed and supported.”

These are three different spaces within the security industry and three different takes on where AI is going to make the biggest impact. As the industry at large continues to grapple with the rapid rise of this disruptive technology, it made me wonder: How big of a deal is AI? Will it completely revolutionize the security and fire industry, or merely enhance it? And will it continue at this pace, or will something we don’t foresee put the brakes on adoption for a while? And if so, what might that look like?

Barring some outside force, the most likely scenario is that we will only be limited by our own imagination and understanding. The security industry is already experiencing a shortage of technical talent, and, as someone on a recent panel said, “You aren’t going to lose your job to AI; you are going to lose it because you don’t understand AI.” Another speaker a year or so ago noted that we will never again be caught up with the pace of technology in our lifetime.

The other day, I had lunch with my middle son, who is about to graduate from college with a double degree in electrical engineering and math and go on to a one-year master’s degree. Or so I thought. As it turns out, he has now decided to go for the full PhD with a specialization related to AI. He has realized both the potential for this technology and the need for a deeper understanding of all facets of it.

So, is AI all that? Perhaps the answer is not yet. But it will be soon. Are you ready?