Beyond the Buzz: What AI and Automation Really Mean for Physical Security
Lee M. Odess is a globally recognized strategist in physical security, best known for championing the modernization of access control. With over 18 years of experience, Lee has consistently led businesses, authored seminal industry analysis, and helped executives adopt cutting‑edge strategies. He’s also on the board of directors at Board of Directors of the Security Industry Association (SIA) and runs several media and consulting brands under The Access Control Collective (TACC).
Everyone’s talking about AI. Natural language interfaces, smarter alerts, automation — it’s become the new normal in security marketing.
But beneath the surface of all the hype, a more nuanced, important story is emerging. One that’s not just about replacing guards with bots or adding intelligence to cameras, but about how AI is quietly—and sometimes dramatically—reshaping how security is delivered, staffed, and valued.
Let’s break it down across verticals, real-world use cases, and the hard truth about messaging in a fast-changing market.
How AI hits different: The vertical view
Enterprise tech companies
These are the giants—well-resourced organizations whose security departments can be bigger than the vendors building security solutions. What are they looking for? Utility-plus: not just safety, but systems that unlock operational efficiencies. They’re after automation that can reduce manual effort, lower headcount needs, and maybe even drive revenue (think stadiums or event venues where access is tied to commerce).
This isn’t theory—it’s a business case. When security can help improve margins, speed, or experience, the conversation shifts from cost center to strategic asset.
Small commercial businesses
Here, the equation is different. It’s not about replacing employees—it’s about never hiring them in the first place. AI and automation are positioned as force multipliers, letting these businesses stretch lean teams without compromising safety.
This framing feels a lot more like utopia than dystopia. You’re not firing “Jim the night guard”—you just don’t need to find Jim in the first place. The tech becomes empowering, not threatening.
Labor-heavy operations
On the other end of the spectrum, some companies still rely on large security teams—50 people watching feeds, digging through alarms and logs. For them, automation promises a steep drop in headcount. We’re talking about replacing dozens of manual roles with software.
This is the most visibly disruptive version of the shift, and also the most misunderstood. It’s not about cold efficiency—it’s about scalability, accuracy, and focus. Machines handle the monotony so humans can do what they’re better at.
Not just replacement—reallocation
In my own company, I’ve seen this transformation firsthand. We didn’t need to hire a content editor. AI now handles much of the heavy lifting there. That’s not a layoff—that’s a hire that never needed to happen.
In larger organizations, the same thing is playing out at scale. A head of security may go to leadership asking for 10 new roles. Instead, they’re handed a budget and told, “Find the right tech to cover half of that.”
It’s subtle, but powerful. The workforce isn’t shrinking overnight—but how we build teams, and what we expect them to do, is being redefined.
AI is table stakes. But what’s your endgame?
Today, most players in the AI-for-security space are focused on two core capabilities:
- Conversational AI – systems that talk and understand like a human.
- Automated alert handling – replacing the guy in the chair watching screens.
These are becoming baseline expectations, not differentiators. But what’s missing—and sorely needed—is future-state storytelling.
We need to hear more about the long-term impact of these tools—on operations, on jobs, on trust, on how businesses function. Who’s painting that picture?
The messaging gap
Here’s the real challenge: all of these realities exist at once. Some buyers want headcount reduction. Others want augmentation. Some need a budget win. Others want the edge in user experience.
For marketers and product leaders, that means a single, unified narrative just won’t cut it. The key isn’t to simplify the story—it’s to segment it. Different audiences need different value propositions, and the companies that can clearly communicate across those needs will be the ones that stand out.
Final thought
AI isn’t coming to the security industry. It’s already here. But the impact it makes depends entirely on how we position it, adopt it, and lead with it.
This isn’t about features. It’s about the future of work, the evolution of business, and how security steps into a broader, more strategic role.
That’s the story we should be telling.
