(Image source from: 9to5mac.com)
On Wednesday, Ring, a brand owned by Amazon specializing in smart security devices, unveiled a new feature leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). Named Video Descriptions, this innovative capability utilizes generative AI to send text notifications based on motion activity to users who have set up the company’s video doorbells and cameras. The brand also indicated its intention to integrate additional AI tools and functionalities into both its devices and the user experience within its app. It is significant to note that this new AI enhancement will work with all existing doorbells and cameras offered by Ring. Jamie Siminoff, the founder of Ring, presented and explained this feature in a post on their newsroom, outlining how the advancements in AI are prompting the company to discover ways to utilize this technology to enhance the quality of life for its users.
Siminoff described Video Descriptions as a crucial initial component of the company's AI initiatives. This feature is designed to help users distinguish between critical and routine activities happening inside and outside their homes without the need to view every recorded motion event. By employing computer vision, the AI models analyze the video feeds to create textual descriptions of the events. These descriptions accompany the video clips in the notifications sent to users, allowing them to first read about the motion before watching the footage for more insight. The announcement noted that this feature has been refined to ensure that notifications focus solely on the primary subject causing the motion alert and their respective actions. Examples provided include descriptions like "A person is walking up the steps with a black dog," and "Two individuals are looking into a white car parked in the driveway." The company, however, has not revealed the specific name of the AI model that drives this feature.
Siminoff also mentioned that the Video Descriptions feature would lay the groundwork for further development of AI capabilities within the company. Among the expansions highlighted was the introduction of AI-driven notifications that consolidate multiple motion events across the home into a single alert. Additionally, Ring intends to implement a custom anomaly alert feature, which will activate only when “something unusual occurs on your property.” Currently, Video Descriptions is in beta testing for Ring Home Premium subscribers in Canada and the United States. At this time, the feature is available only in English and can be activated through the Ring app. It is compatible with all Ring doorbells and cameras available on the market.
