AI and Intelligent Systems steal the spotlight at ISC West 2026

Artificial Intelligence (AI) had a major presence at the ISC West 2026 show in Las Vegas. Almost every booth offered some variation on AI and how intelligence is transforming the physical security industry.

Several industry leaders led the way, showcasing how they are tackling complex security challenges with smarter, more efficient solutions. Obviously, the security industry will never be the same.

Milestone Systems: Responsible AI and open platforms

Milestone has declared 2026 the "year of delivery” on previously announced developments and enhancements. A standout feature is their new natural language AI search, which is being integrated across XProtect, Arcules, and Briefcam platforms to simplify how users interact with vast amounts of video data.

A core pillar of their strategy is responsible AI development, which prioritises using licensed data over "scraped" data. They have introduced new anonymisation tools that protect privacy by replacing faces with AI-generated characteristics like hair color while keeping the person unrecognisable. Furthermore, Milestone is moving workloads to Linux to reduce costs, transitioning toward an app marketplace, and has partnered with NVIDIA for the "Hafnia" project to ensure high-quality data to train AI models.

Ambarella: Powering the edge with AI chips

With their presence at ISC West in a meeting room near the trade show floor, Ambarella is the "engine" behind many high-performance intelligent video products, specialising in low-power AI chips like the N1 and CV7 families. Their technology is moving beyond cameras, where they provide systems-on-chips [SOCs] to many manufacturers. They have expanded into "AI boxes" that can process 64+ video channels simultaneously.

A standout feature is the Natural Language technology, which allows users to search for specific objects or abstract scenes using simple prompts. To address modern security concerns, Ambarella has implemented "agentic" programming for a no-code development of automated workflows and media signing to combat AI-generated deepfakes by verifying video integrity through metadata.

Motorola Solutions: Simplifying intelligence

Motorola Solutions shows physical security evolving into a real-time enterprise intelligence layer

Motorola Solutions is prioritising user accessibility by integrating natural language processing into its system configuration. Motorola's portfolio demonstrates how physical security technology is evolving into a real-time operational intelligence layer across the enterprise. Instead of requiring custom coding, operators can now use simple commands—like asking the system to "show me when someone fell down"—to set up advanced analytics and search parameters. The company is also deploying AI agents designed to aggregate data and automatically flag safety or compliance risks, such as perimeter breaches or blocked fire exits. 

To ensure maximum utility of the hardware, Motorola Solutions’ system can ingest massive, complex physical manuals and automatically generate monitoring rules based on those standard operating procedures. Furthermore, Motorola is focusing on interoperability, using industry-standard interfaces to ingest data from various hardware brands and networks. This approach aims to provide operators with clear, recommended next steps during critical events, streamlining the decision-making process in high-pressure environments.

i-PRO: Putting generative AI at the edge

i-PRO is bringing generative AI directly to the edge with a new fisheye camera

i-PRO is bringing generative AI directly to the edge with a new fisheye camera, which processes complex analytics locally rather than relying solely on the cloud. These cameras, on display at ISC West, have moved beyond simple attribute-based tracking to identify complex behaviors like aggression, fighting, and slip-and-fall incidents. 

By running on the latest Ambarella chips, i-PRO cameras can use generative AI to improve image quality and analyse scenes in real-time without external processing. This focus on edge-based intelligence ensures high-performance analytics are available even in environments where constant cloud connectivity might be a challenge.

Brivo: The rise of agentic AI

Brivo and Eagle Eye Networks have officially unified under the Brivo name, focusing on streamlining the experience for large integrators. They are pioneers in agentic AI, introducing features that allow users to talk to their mobile apps to initiate lockdowns or add users. Their Eagle Eye Video Assistant (EEVA) acts as a natural language AI agent that can monitor for specific threats, such as a brandished weapon or a specific vehicle, and automatically trigger access control responses.

By treating access and video as a unified system, Brivo enables users to connect specific video skills—like detecting a red car or a brandished weapon—to automated access control actions. They are also using AI to achieve "zero-cost integration," linking disparate cloud systems using AI-generated instructions.

Everon: Emphasis on video monitoring

Everon is making a massive investment in active video monitoring, using AI-driven systems to deter crime even before it happens. “The market is ripe for it, and customers are demanding it,” says David Charney, Everon’s Sr. Vice President, Video Command Center. Employing virtual guards who can use voice commands, lights, and horns to "shoo away" unauthorised individuals. The company has implemented senior-level leadership that has facilitated more than 5,000 video-based apprehensions.

Everon, specialising in integrated systems for multi-site businesses, uses a rigorous selection process to choose AI providers that can accurately filter alerts for specific applications, such as identifying when a fire door is blocked. As a "trusted advisor" to their 300,000 customers, the company focuses on delivering professional-level results that move beyond basic recording to proactive threat mitigation.

Hanwha: New hybrid VMS combines cloud and on-prem

Hanwha Vision highlighted the official public launch of Blaze, a hybrid video management system (VMS). The platform uses a hybrid architecture to manage on-premise and cloud-connected devices across multiple sites without complex port forwarding.

Blaze features native AI capabilities, including semantic search that allows operators to find specific incidents using natural language queries, such as "person with a safety jacket." The AI security platform lets teams search surveillance footage the way they search Google. AI similarity detection allows operators to quickly trace a person’s movement and investigate incidents faster (useful in active shooter behavior, medical emergencies, or crowd panic scenarios, and more). The system also provides a "histogram" view of traffic patterns to help security professionals quickly identify anomalies in historical footage.

OpenEye: Operational intelligence and shift to OpEx

OpenEye unveiled AI-powered features such as visual chat and scene analysis

OpenEye is redefining video surveillance by moving intelligence from the camera level to the cloud, significantly reducing the need for on-site server management. At ISC West, OpenEye introduced new AI-driven tools like visual chat and scene analysis. Beyond security, these tools provide valuable operational alerts, such as identifying overflowing dumpsters, dirty tables in restaurants, or vehicles blocking dock doors. 

The system also utilises natural language for search, allowing users to find specific attributes like "people wearing backpacks" within designated timeframes. OpenEye also highlighted an industry-wide shift toward operational expenditures (OpEx) billing models, as users increasingly prefer predictable monthly or yearly payments over large upfront capital expenditures (CapEx). This model aligns with their channel-based operations, meeting customers where they currently operate without the burden of high fees.

IQSIGHT: New name, same mission for Bosch video

Formerly Bosch Video, the newly named IQSIGHT seeks to maintain the “Bosch pedigree” under the new name. It’s the same engineering, manufacturing, etc. IQSIGHT also pledges to be "easier to do business with" by improving user interfaces and end-to-end user experiences. Despite the transition, the company has increased their pace of innovation and reinforced the open systems philosophy with enhanced integrations with Milestone, Genetec, and others.

The major product release at the show is IVA Pro Context, which uses generative AI to provide human-level scene understanding. Through a partnership with Laelaps AI, a robotics startup, IQSIGHT is exploring autonomous dispatch and response. When a camera identifies a scene, it triggers a robot to provide a tailored response. Commercialisation is expected in 12 to 18 months.

Verkada: How their system can solve a crime

But how does AI operate in the real world? Verkada had a “themed” exhibit demonstrating how their system could solve a hypothetical theft at the Louvre museum in Paris. The exhibit took attendees through and showed how Verkada technologies (e.g., license plate recognition and search capabilities) could provide fast results to solve the crime. AI-powered tools, like their newest unified timeline, demonstrate value in the real world of investigations.