SimpliSafe Introduces New Active Monitoring Service Using Artificial Intelligence and Human Agents

SimpliSafe has announced the launch of Active Guard Outdoor Protection, which adds an extra layer of 24/7 monitoring to their home security subscription services. The new plan is available for $50 per month and includes the standard indoor monitoring service for $32 from the Boston-based company.

This offering will only be available with new devices, including the Series 2 outdoor security camera. SimpliSafe notes that this limitation is due to the previous camera's inability to implement the "AI for facial recognition" feature, which helps avoid false alarms in users' own homes.

If the system cannot identify a person based on previously collected data, an operator will be notified. Depending on the circumstances, actions, and other factors, a SimpliSafe employee can alert the individual that they are being monitored, activate the siren and floodlights, and notify authorities if necessary.

Senior Vice President of Product Hooman Shahidi told TechCrunch that SimpliSafe intentionally chose to integrate human involvement in the monitoring process, ensuring that final decisions are not made solely by artificial intelligence.

"[AI] is only there to assist agents," explains Shahidi. "We have trained our agents on racial biases and have a fairly diverse workforce running our monitoring center. This is simply to help them, not to replace them."

CEO Christian Cerda adds that while SimpliSafe, like any other company, is experimenting with generative AI, they are cautious about how these technologies will be implemented.

The price of the Series 2 outdoor security camera is $200, the same as its predecessor. This camera is waterproof and designed for wall or other types of mounting. It can operate on battery or wired power, providing HD video recording with a 140-degree field of view and the ability to capture details up to 15 feet away. It also features microphones and speakers for two-way communication.

Founded in 2006, SimpliSafe is one of the top three home security companies in the U.S., alongside ADT and Vivint. Over the past 18 years, the company has faced increasing competition from smart home cameras offered by companies like Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest.

Most of SimpliSafe's business is concentrated in the U.S., although it opened its first international office in the UK in 2019. In April 2023, the company moved to a larger office space in Boston. The firm also employs many former iRobot employees, including Cerda, who previously served as the COO of the Roomba manufacturer.