SimpliSafe Launches AI-Powered Outdoor Security Camera with Live Monitoring

SimpliSafe Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 is powered by AI | Digital Trends

After spending some time in early access, SimpliSafe's Active Guard Outdoor Protection feature is now available to the public. Using AI technology in conjunction with its team of security experts, Active Guard Outdoor Protection is designed to detect and stop crime before it happens. It's available on the new Outdoor Security Camera Series 2, though you'll need to enroll in a monthly membership to get full use of the service. SimpliSafe isn't new to the world of AI-powered crime prevention, as you'll already find a similar feature on the Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Camera. That functionality is great -- but if an indoor camera is picking up intruders, it means they've already made it inside your home. The Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 and Active Guard Outdoor Protection are looking to fix that, as the system can react to threats and alert SimpliSafe agents within 30 seconds of catching a motion event. Recommended Videos When your system is armed, the camera will use AI to detect human movement on your property. If it detects a person, it'll use a face-matching system to determine if the person matches a Familiar Face in your system (that is, someone like a family member or trusted neighbor). If a match isn't detected, the event will be escalated to a professional monitoring service, where a trained security agent can intervene with two-way audio. They can also trigger the camera's built-in alarm or request assistance from local authorities. In short, it sounds like a pretty robust system that should give users added peace of mind. It does, however, come with a fairly hefty price tag. The Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 costs $200. You'll also need to sign up for one of two monitoring plans. SimpliSafe's Pro Plan costs $50 per month and gets you Core indoor protection, 24/7 professional monitoring, and overnight outdoor protection (between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time). The Pro Plus Plan costs $70 and extends your outdoor protection to 24/7 coverage. That's a bit pricey, but it's aligned with other brands that offer professional monitoring. The Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 looks like a great piece of hardware as well, as it's equipped with enhanced night vision, HD video, a 140-degree field of view, and an onboard 90dB siren. SimpliSafe says the camera can capture details up to 15 feet away regardless of lighting conditions. Most importantly, it uses the unique Active Guard Outdoor Protection feature to identify and stop crimes before they occur.

SimpliSafe's new outdoor monitoring service combines AI with human agents

SimpliSafe has announced the addition of Active Guard Outdoor Protection to its monthly subscription offerings. The new tier adds an added layer of 24/7 monitoring to the home security service. Outdoor Protection Pro is available for $50 a month, a price that includes the Boston-based firm's standard $22 indoor monitoring service. The new offering will only be available via a new piece of hardware, the Outdoor Security Camera Series 2. SimpliSafe says the limitations are due to its predecessor's inability to run its 'AI for the Familiar Face' feature, which assures that users don't trigger false alarms at their own homes. If the system doesn't recognize the person based on past training, a human agent will be alert. Depending on the situation, response, and other factors, the SimpliSafe employee can alert the person that they're being monitored, trigger a siren and flood lights, and alert authorities as necessary. Product SVP Hooman Shahid tells TechCrunch that SimpliSafe was intentional in its decision to involve the human agent in the process, so the final decision isn't being made by AI. "[The AI] is all to aid the agents," explains Shahid. "We've trained our agents on racial bias and have a pretty diverse workforce that manages our monitoring center. This is really just to help them, as opposed to being a replacement for them." CEO Christian Cerda adds that, while Simplisafe - like every other company on Earth - is testing generative AI solutions, the company is taking a cautious approach to how these technologies are deployed. The Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 is priced at $200 - the same as its predecessor. The camera is waterproof and designed to be mounted to a wall or other surface. It can be battery-powered or hardwired for power. The system shoots in HD with a 140-degree view, catching details up to 15 feet away. Microphones and speakers are also built in for two-way communication. Founded in 2006, SimpliSafe is one of the top three home security companies in the U.S., along with ADT and Vivint. In those 18 years, the firm has continued to see increased competition as smart home cameras proliferate from the likes of Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest. SimpliSafe does the vast majority of its business in the U.S., adding its first international office in the U.K. in 2019. In April 2023 the security firm's headquarters moved into a larger Boston office space. The company is also home to a good number of former iRobot employees, including Cerda, who was previously the Roomba-maker's COO.

SimpliSafe's latest camera tries to prevent break-ins by having someone watch your yard

Security systems and cameras can go a long way in helping stop a break-in as it's happening, but at that point damage has already been done. With its latest outdoor camera, SimpliSafe wants to stop burglars before they enter the home by having someone monitor your yard. After launching in beta earlier this year, SimpliSafe is launching its first outdoor camera that's designed to help prevent break-ins before they happen. This functionality debuts with the SimpliSafe Outdoor Security Camera Series 2, and is for now only supported on this latest camera. "Active Guard Outdoor Protection: uses a combination of AI and human operators to monitor your home's property and both see and speak to potential intruders before they attempt to enter the home. SimpliSafe explains: The Outdoor Camera detects motion. Advanced AI determines if it is everyday activity or a person on your property. If your system is armed during service hours, a monitoring agent can start reviewing the live video feed. Agents use their experience and judgment to assess the situation, and can match the visitor to familiar faces that you've saved in the SimpliSafe® mobile app. SimpliSafe's "Active Guard" feature requires paid monitoring, of course, with prices starting at $49.99/month for the Pro plan which will monitor for threats overnight, while the $79.99/month "Pro Plus" plan has monitoring active 24/7, of course in addition to standard monitoring which is 24/7 on either plan. The new Outdoor Camera used with this functionality features improvements to night vision and video quality, as well as a 140° field of view. The camera can be installed with a wire, wireless on battery, or using a solar panel, and costs $199.99.

I went hands-on with SimpliSafe's new AI outdoor monitoring service -- here's how it went

ActiveGuard Outdoor Protection uses AI to tell a live agent what it sees outside your home 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. 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. 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.

SimpliSafe's new camera lets live agents watch your property

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Home security company SimpliSafe has launched its new live monitoring feature -- Active Guard Outdoor Protection. Announced earlier this year, the service is powered by a new outdoor camera that uses on-device and cloud-based AI to alert call center agents about potential threats on your property. The agent then gets access to a live view through the camera and can talk to any potential intruder and either deter the threat or call emergency services.