As I open the door to an industrial Manhattan loft, I find myself greeted by a fabricated home setup that doesn't feel too far off from a TV set. It's uncanny for sure, but far from the strangest thing I've seen in the city. A SimpliSafe rep instructs me to approach the bright yellow door out front so I happily oblige. While I oogle the mums in a nearby planter, the camera mounted offset to the door takes stock of me.
A clear, lively voice lets me know I'm not alone. "Hi, this is Brittany with SimpliSafe. Can you state your name and the reason for your visit?" After a brief exchange and agent verification, the head of SimpliSafe unlocks and opens the door to greet me. Immediately after, the brand's Chief Product Officer shows me what happens when a visitor isn't so nice. He yanks on the handle with malicious intent. My friend Brittany in the camera takes on a much sterner tone — relaying that the act is being recorded and police will be dispatched. As he wrestles against the lock, a blaring 90-decibel siren blows our ears out and he jets out of the room. It's effective, for sure.
SimpliSafe's new ActiveGuard Outdoor Protection service combines AI and live monitoring to gauge visitors and threats akin to a gated community or a private security guard. I had the chance to experience the service hands-on, as a visitor, homeowner, and from the agent's backend to see how it all works.
Using AI to prevent crime before it enters your home
SimpliSafe's ActiveGuard Outdoor Protection feature rolls out today for the Outdoor Security Camera Series 2. This works provided you're subscribed to the $50 monthly Pro Monitoring Plan. It taps into a mix of AI and live agent monitoring to monitor the outside of your home and deter crime before it enters your home. The system uses facial recognition to ignore familiar faces, but it acts like a security guard for new visitors. Its three-layered AI system assesses threats and generates a descriptive text report on what it sees so that the agent can remotely screen visitors to get their name and reason for visit. If the person shows aggression, the live agent relays that they're being recorded and can tell the person that police have been notified with their description, followed by unleashing a piercing 90-decibel siren and bright spotlight.
This siren is built into the "chin" located at the bottom of the camera, where noise-canceling microphones and speakers converge to ensure crystal-clear two-way communication that isn't stifled out by wind or passing cars. I initially assumed this was some sort of radar sensor, but I could make out the holes in the grill line once I took a look up close. While I find the $199 price tag steep for a 1080p camera, it's clear enough to identify facial details.
With the friendly faces feature you can upload images or use camera captures to teach the AI to recognize friends and family members. Suppose someone new enters the picture when the system is armed. In that case, the camera's three-layer system cross-checks the visitor is a known person, uses generative AI to create a detailed text report of event, and then hands this plus a live video feed off to an agent within under 30 seconds. A live agent can then assess and intervene in the situation. In a scenario where the CPO pretended to yank on the door, the agent's tone went from calm to stern, saying that they are being recorded and will be dispatching the police.
Granted, if anyone's fully intent on breaking into the house the agent's voice will be as useful as the "Scram, get out of here!" meme that's been flooding my feeds for the past month. However, this is an extra layer that's enough to deter most events, whether it's someone looking to steal a catalytic converter or a trespasser on your property at night, this live agent's presence could be a game-changer rather than an automated robotic voice response telling people they're being recorded.
Wi-Fi only with no cellular backup like home monitoring
While traditional home security companies like ADT and the Slomins in my family's house lock you into a contract, SimpliSafe is pay-by-month more akin to internet security cameras like those from Arlo or Ring. The brand's monitoring service is fast unlike third-party competitors because it stems from a traditional 24/7 in-house security center. Bringing this level of protection outside the house is a whole new ballgame that I hope inspires other manufacturers.
With that said only SimpliSafe's entry sensors have a cellular backup, this camera doesn't yet. That means if your Wi-Fi goes out, the service won't work. While I wish the camera supported built-in cellular, there's no doubt you'll be able to cut down on riff-raff in your yard or at your door. The day I went to this briefing, someone sprinkled dozens of nails all over my driveway to pop my F150's tires. This outdoor camera could have seen and intervened to stop something like that potentially. Plus, with the rise of catalytic converter and bike thieves, this system is more active than a smart security camera because someone can take over for you while you sleep or are away on vacation.
I'm looking forward to putting the system through its paces when I acquire a review unit. What I've seen so far is an exciting step for any smart home security setup. While I wish the camera had cellular backup and a higher resolution, its initial reliability in this test yard showed some serious worth to the subscription.
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