Fast Facts: What Is Audio Detection Listening for?

Audio detection technology can be used to identify and locate the source of specific noises, such as verbally aggressive interactions or gunshots. These sensors can help security teams by improving situational awareness, minimizing false alarms, and, perhaps, more accurately verify incidents, such as shootings. Ultimately, they could enable improved response times, mitigation efforts, and efficiency.

Audio detection solutions, which can be integrated with video surveillance, include options for identifying gunshots, breaking glass, and verbal aggression.

These products have come under scrutiny, however, with critics arguing that flawed sensors, algorithms, or software may open the door to blanket surveillance or result in false alarms, privacy concerns, failure to identify acoustic or verbal signs of distress, and even wrongful accusations or arrests.

Nevertheless, manufacturers are working to improve these kinds of products, touting improved algorithms or materials, and sometimes leveraging the use of artificial intelligence.