Physical security market evolves with AI

The physical security market is undergoing rapid transformation with the integration of AI models and natural language research, reshaping the ecosystem. This shift is driven by companies developing technologies that allow users to interact with video surveillance systems using spoken language or text.

Genetec advances in generative AI

Genetec, a historical leader in video management systems (VMS), revealed its advances in generative AI in February of the previous year. This development marks a significant step in the company’s efforts to enhance video surveillance capabilities with artificial intelligence.

Synology deploys AI features

Synology, which comes from the network-attached storage (NAS) world, is about to deploy its own semantic search and image analysis features using AI models. This move positions the company to enter the video security market with innovative tools that leverage artificial intelligence.

AI enables conversational video search

The idea for both Genetec and Synology is to allow investigators to "speak" to video, making it possible to ask an AI about the presence of an individual wearing a green jacket in the footage. The video system, coupled with AI, selects the video sequences from several cameras that contain this description.

AI reduces human workload

"Search for video sequences through conversation or natural language in order to obtain video evidence in a few seconds," says Marc Lenoble, public sector sales manager at Synology. This capability is designed to reduce the workload of human surveillance by automating the search process.

Future of video surveillance

"When we talk about video surveillance, it is true that we immediately think of cameras or video recordings [...]. But in 2026, video surveillance can do much more than capture what has just happened," Lenoble says. He envisions a future where the market is defined not by cameras alone, but by a complete ecosystem of integrated technologies.

AI capabilities in action

Thanks to its algorithms and semantic engines, Synology ensures the extraction of probative video sequences in less than 10 seconds. This speed highlights the practical benefits of AI in video surveillance, offering quick access to critical information.

Synology's market positioning

The arrival on the market of Synology's semantic AI features, only a few months after Genetec's presentation, confirms the speed at which the NAS specialist is trying to transform itself into an intelligent video security publisher. This rapid development underscores the competitive nature of the evolving security technology landscape.