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Photo courtesy of Axis Communications
For decades, video surveillance has served a singular purpose: capture footage for security and incident review. While camera technology has steadily improved, delivering higher resolutions, better low-light performance, and more reliable hardware, these incremental advances aren’t what’s fundamentally transforming the industry today. The real revolution is happening through artificial intelligence, and it’s redefining what’s possible with the surveillance infrastructure you already have in place.
At Data Link, we’ve watched and helped this evolution unfold across healthcare facilities, corporate campuses, manufacturing plants, and educational institutions. What we’re seeing isn’t just an upgrade to existing systems, it’s a complete reimagining of how video surveillance creates value for customers. If you’re responsible for security decisions in your organization, understanding this shift isn’t optional. It’s essential.
The ABCs of AI
Maturity in hardware isn’t what’s driving innovation anymore. The transformation happening now is algorithmic, not mechanical. Some of our partners, including Milestone and Axis, are embedding sophisticated AI capabilities directly into their products, fundamentally changing what video surveillance can accomplish. However, there’s a challenge: many organizations feel like they should ask for AI-enhanced surveillance. But they don’t fully grasp what AI-enhanced surveillance can actually do for them. The terminology surrounding AI can be loose and confusing, with some solutions offering simplistic approaches that barely scratch the surface, while others deliver truly transformative capabilities.
This confusion creates friction. Decision-makers hear “AI-powered surveillance” and struggle to differentiate between marketing hype and genuine innovation. The key is understanding not just what AI can do in theory, but how it applies specifically to your operational challenges.
Your Cameras Are Already Intelligent Sensors
Here’s a perspective shift that changes everything: your security cameras aren’t just recording devices. They’re sophisticated sensors and data collectors already deployed throughout your organization. This infrastructure, which you’ve invested in for security purposes, can simultaneously address operational challenges that have nothing to do with traditional security concerns.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has already connected countless devices across your facilities. Your cameras are part of that ecosystem, and AI enables them to analyze, interpret, and act on what they observe. Instead of passive recording devices waiting for someone to review footage after an incident, they become active participants in improving how your organization functions.
The rule of AI thumb is that if a task happens repeatedly in your organization, three times or more, it’s a candidate for automation through AI-enhanced video surveillance. This automation doesn’t just save time; it eliminates human error, provides consistent monitoring, and generates actionable data that improves decision-making.
Real-World Applications Across Industries
The practical applications of AI-enhanced video surveillance extend far beyond detecting intruders or reviewing incidents. Let’s examine some really interesting ways that organizations are using these capabilities today.
Crowd Intelligence and Wait Time Management
Concert and sports venues are implementing AI programs that track wait times at restrooms and concessions in real time. Ohio State University deployed this technology in their stadium, allowing fans to check wait times from their seats via mobile apps. Notre Dame is currently evaluating similar implementations. This isn’t hypothetical technology, it’s operating at scale today, improving the fan experience while reducing congestion and operational bottlenecks. It’s also a cool marketable upgrade.
For healthcare facilities, imagine applying similar intelligence to emergency room wait times, patient flow through imaging departments, or visitor congestion in main lobbies. For educational institutions, think about monitoring library occupancy, cafeteria traffic patterns, or parking availability. These aren’t security applications; they’re operational improvements enabled by security infrastructure.
Safety Compliance Monitoring
In manufacturing and construction environments, ensuring workers wear proper personal protective equipment is a challenge. AI interfaces with security cameras can automatically detect when someone enters a restricted area without a hard hat, safety glasses, or other required PPE. Instead of relying on manual observation or post-incident review, the system alerts supervisors in real time, preventing potential injuries before they occur.
Healthcare facilities can use similar capabilities to monitor hand hygiene compliance, ensure proper use of isolation protocols, or verify that staff are following safety procedures in laboratories or pharmaceutical preparation areas.
Advanced Video Search Capabilities
A few of Data Link’s partners recently introduced “plain tech search,” a spoken-word interface that lets you inspect video footage using natural language. Instead of manually scrubbing through hours of footage, you can simply say “show me everyone wearing a red shirt” or “find instances of deliveries to the loading dock yesterday afternoon,” and the system rapidly identifies relevant footage.
For corporate security teams investigating incidents, this dramatically reduces investigation time. For operations managers analyzing workflow issues, it transforms video from a security tool into a business intelligence resource.
Choosing the Right Approach: Manufacturer Models and Use Cases
Each manufacturer has developed their own AI model, with varying capabilities, implementation requirements, and cost structures. At Data Link, we never push a specific manufacturer’s solution. Our job is to help you understand what’s possible using your existing systems and infrastructure and then customize a security system that meets your operational needs.
The most successful AI surveillance deployments begin with clear use cases. What problems are you trying to solve? What data would improve your operations? Are there safety or security challenges AI could address more effectively than current approaches? Data Link helps provide the answers to these questions to help perfectly align the right solutions with your requirements, often leveraging devices already deployed in your organization.
This approach maximizes return on investment. Rather than replacing your entire surveillance infrastructure, we identify opportunities to enhance existing systems with AI capabilities, adding intelligence where it creates the most value.
The Path Forward: From Security Tool to Strategic Asset
The organizations that will benefit most from AI-enhanced video surveillance are those that stop thinking about cameras solely as security devices and start viewing them as strategic assets that generate valuable operational data.
This mindset shift requires collaboration between security, operations, IT, and leadership. One of the first conversations we have is with stakeholders to get everyone on the same page. We want each department to identify specific challenges to be solved by video analytics, evaluate available technology and clarify the key outcomes that will deliver measurable results.
The question isn’t whether AI will transform video surveillance into your organization. It already has in countless businesses. The question is whether you’ll harness that transformation strategically or let opportunities pass while competitors gain operational advantages.
Ready to let AI help you? It’s the intelligent way to go. Contact us to set up an assessment.