Over the last few months, we have been training on and experimenting with some cloud-based AI analytics software.
“Wow.” I hear you say. “That’s a lot of buzzwords in a single sentence.”
I would agree with you. It is, however, accurate. So let’s start there. What exactly is cloud-based AI analytics software?
Let’s break it down.
Cloud-based software is a program that runs on a machine connected to the internet. Traditionally, programs like your web-browser (like Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or some other browser that you’re using to view this article) run solely on your computer, which means they are limited by your computer’s performance.
Have you ever run too many programs at once and had your computer freeze? This is an example of the demand for resources being higher than what your computer is capable of delivering. With cloud-based software, the programs are run on a much more powerful machine that’s capable of far greater processing than our standard home computers and laptops. That machine is then accessed through the internet.
Why is this necessary or relevant?
That brings us to our next buzzword and the biggest one of the decade: “AI.”
To start, let’s address the sci-fi term “AI.”
AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is a name for true intelligence and sapience given to a machine. You may think of Isaac Asimov or Skynet when you hear these terms. This is not the AI we possess today.
AI has been pushed forward as a marketing term over a true descriptor of what’s going on behind the scenes of the AI programs. They are incredibly sophisticated and powerful programs, but they are not sentient (IBM, 2024). They are pattern-recognition programs.
AI, in this case, is essentially advanced pattern recognition. Instead of 'thinking' like a human, it processes vast amounts of information and applies learned models to identify objects or behaviors. For example, an AI-powered security system may analyze thousands of images to recognize vehicles, people, or specific clothing colors in real-time.
AI models are taught to identify certain things based on tons and tons and tons of data (IBM, 2025).
For our purposes, it’s this pattern-recognition that is most useful to us as it applies to security systems. “Patterns” as we think of them are not quite what the systems do. They aren’t looking for “John gets coffee at 4:15 every day” or a fabric pattern. They may see a person on the video and say (in their own computer thoughts) “This matches 75% of my training data that has the label “Person.” This is probably a person.”
They also require significant processing power, hence the need for cloud-computing. Our meager PCs are not able to give them the processing power they need to run at a useful speed.
This is, of course, an extremely simplified explanation of this particular type of “AI.”
What it does for us in terms of security is to save time. It allows the user to search for terms that make sense to us. We can search the video feed for colors or objects or both. Instead of sifting through hours of footage from multiple cameras, you can simply search for 'Blue Car' and find the relevant moments instantly. These AI systems can be a massive time-saver.
And now, “Analytics”.
This term is much simpler to explain, since it’s really just talking about what the “AI” is doing. It analyzes your footage for these “patterns” for your convenience.
So here we are. Cloud-based AI analytics.
Is it right for us as a product? Possibly.
We’re firm believers in the safety and security of owning your system and on-site recording. This ethos is not based on some old-fashioned approach and rejection of “AI.” It is based on the simple understanding that when you offload your systems to the cloud, you lose significant control over those systems. The trade-off is, of course, you gain access to powerful systems otherwise inaccessible to you.
We want to be sure that any risk, be it a less powerful but local analytics solution or an extremely powerful cloud-based solution, is one we’re comfortable putting the name Leading Edge Security behind. We aim to cut through the noise of modern technology and provide clear, practical security solutions. Whether local or cloud-based, our goal is to help you find what works best for your needs.
IBM. "What is Sentient AI?" IBM. December 30, 2024. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/sentient-ai.
IBM. "What is Model Training?" IBM. February 13, 2025. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/model-training.
