Picture this: a camera doesn’t just record; it recognizes a worker entering a hazardous zone without PPE, alerts supervisors in real time, and logs the event for compliance.
This is the leap from traditional CCTV to AI-powered surveillance — turning cameras into proactive safety and operations partners.
The question many facility managers, security leaders, and IT teams are asking now is simple: what’s the best AI video surveillance solution? The answer isn’t just about picking a brand, but choosing the system that fits your goals and infrastructure.
The Shift from Passive to Intelligent
Traditional video surveillance relied on cameras and DVRs to store hours of footage, with humans scanning through recordings after something went wrong. It was mostly reactive, and motion-based triggers were prone to false alarms.
AI changes that equation. Modern systems use computer vision models to detect objects, behaviors, and anomalies as events happen. They can distinguish people from vehicles, identify suspicious loitering, detect crowding, or even allow natural-language searches of past footage.
This shift has been accelerated by cheaper edge compute, open standards like ONVIF that ensure camera compatibility, and the pressure to extract more ROI from security infrastructure.
For manufacturers, retailers, logistics hubs, and campuses, the result is faster response times, reduced losses, improved compliance, and even data for optimizing operations.
3 AI Video Surveillance Solutions Worth Considering
Coram
oram is designed to add AI video surveillance to the cameras you already own. Its platform brings real-time alerts for PPE violations, license plate recognition, plain-English video search, and integrated access control into one cloud-based dashboard.
Because it is camera-agnostic, organizations can avoid costly rip-and-replace projects and scale quickly across multiple sites.
Coram shines when businesses want to unify security and operations data in one place, turning cameras into incident-detection sensors.
That said, its performance still depends on the quality of existing cameras and lighting, and privacy considerations must be addressed carefully since Coram supports face recognition and access control.
Avigilon (Motorola Solutions)
Avigilon combines high-resolution cameras with analytics built directly into the hardware. This reduces latency because detections happen at the edge, close to the camera itself.
Avigilon is known for excellent imaging quality, robust support, and a mature product line that includes video, access control, and analytics as a single package.
It’s ideal for organizations willing to invest in a complete ecosystem with a long lifecycle and tight integration. The tradeoff is a higher cost per camera and less flexibility if you want to mix brands or swap out analytics engines later.
Milestone Systems
Milestone takes a platform approach. Its XProtect VMS becomes the hub, and you can plug in different AI analytics engines through its AI Bridge.
This makes Milestone one of the most flexible solutions for enterprises that already have a camera network and want to add intelligence without being locked into one vendor’s analytics.
This modularity allows you to experiment — try one AI analytics engine for intrusion detection, switch to another for object classification, or add new capabilities over time — all without replacing your VMS. It does require some integration work, but it gives long-term control over your system’s evolution.
Which One is Really the “Best”?
There isn’t a single universal winner — but if you need a solution that combines AI analytics, access control, emergency management, and a camera-agnostic approach in one platform, Coram is arguably the most forward-thinking choice.
It brings AI to every part of physical security without locking you into a single hardware brand.
Avigilon remains excellent if you want a proven, integrated system with top-tier hardware, and Milestone shines if you prefer an open platform where you can swap analytics providers over time.
The best answer to “What’s the best AI video surveillance solution?” is the one that works with your infrastructure, gives you reliable alerts, and grows as your needs evolve — but for most organizations looking to modernize quickly while staying future-proof, Coram represents one of the most complete offerings available today.
FAQs
Can any IP camera be turned into an AI camera?
Yes, platforms like Coram and Milestone let you add analytics to existing cameras, but performance still depends on resolution, lighting, and positioning.
Do AI systems eliminate false alarms?
They dramatically reduce them compared to motion-only detection, but fine-tuning and retraining are still needed to prevent alert fatigue.
Where should detection run: edge or cloud?
Edge is faster and preserves bandwidth; cloud allows centralized updates and cross-site analysis. Hybrid deployments are increasingly common.
Is face recognition legal?
It depends on your jurisdiction. Many regions require consent or specific use cases for biometric data, so compliance must be planned carefully.
Final Takeaway
AI video surveillance is no longer just a security upgrade — it’s an operational tool. The real question is not which brand is “best,” but which system fits your infrastructure, integrates with your workflows, and delivers measurable value.
For most businesses in 2025, the smart approach is to pilot AI surveillance in high-impact zones, measure its effect on safety and efficiency, and then scale across the organization.
That’s how you turn cameras from passive watchers into active partners in keeping your people, property, and operations running smoothly.