Page 30 - Campus Security & Life Safety, October 2018

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
AI COMES TO THE CLASSROOM
How AI and machine learning can help campuses keep the pace with the evolving learning environment By Jumbi Edulbehram
The biggest trend in video surveillance and indeed the security industry as a whole over the past several years has been the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the revolutionary promise it holds for the market. What once seemed like capabilities reserved only for the char- acters of science fiction novels and movies, are quickly becoming a reality because of advancements in computing combined with parallel breakthroughs in machine learning technology.
This has subsequently resulted in a renaissance for video analytics, which were frequently written off by systems integrators and end users as being an over-hyped solutions. Indeed, many of the vendors that offered video analytics as a standalone solution as little as a decade ago have now been largely relegated to the ash heap of industry history via company or patent acquisition. Now, however, the technology is once again flourishing with fresh venture capital funds flowing into an ever- growing number of companies. There are still many lingering ques- tions about what tangible effect these advancements are going to have on the wider industry and especially in a vertical like education where users have to get every bit out of their investment dollar. Just because a Fortune 500 organization or large city can afford to spend millions on a state-of-the-art video surveillance system doesn’t mean that your average K-12 or college campus is going to see any real benefit from AI on a practical level right?
The fact is that schools—be they primary or secondary, public or private—have the same duty to protect students and staff members as a business would to protect their customers, stakeholders and work- force. That responsibility requires that schools look into cutting-edge
technologies like AI, which stands poised to fundamentally alter the landscape of physical security.
THE BENEFITS OF AI FOR SCHOOLS
The recent rash of school shootings across the country has shined a bright spotlight on issues surrounding campus security and the short- comings of more traditional solutions have really been brought to the forefront. While more public schools today use video surveillance than at any other point in history, the fact is the vast majority of these cam- era networks are not actively monitored, which limits the role they can play in mitigating incidents. However, with the rise of AI, schools could get more out of their camera deployments as it would give them a better chance to have advance warning of a potential attack.
For example, take the shooting that occurred earlier this year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which claimed the lives of 17 people and resulted in more than a dozen others being injured. The accused gunman, identified as a 19-year-old ex- student, had been expelled from the school prior to the massacre and his presence on campus was an immediate red flag. It’s not hard to see how an AI-powered solution could be used in the future to stop similar incidents from occurring given how the technology provides end users with the ability to more easily verify identities and even behaviors using video surveillance. Leveraging advanced facial recognition and/ or behavioral anomaly detection capabilities offered by AI, school administrators and security staff could be immediately notified when former students or disgruntled staff members or parents set foot on a campus and keep track of their movements across facilities.
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CAMPUS SECURITY & LIFE SAFETY