Study reveals how AI is reshaping commercial building management

A new study from Honeywell highlights the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in commercial building operations. More than 80% of building managers plan to expand their use of AI-driven solutions. The findings reflect a growing industry shift toward leveraging AI to enhance security, operational efficiency and energy management.

According to the study, security and occupant safety rank among the top use cases for AI in buildings today. Stephen Russo, Director of Enterprise Offerings, Security and Access Solutions at Honeywell, explained to SecurityInfoWatch the impact of AI-driven security enhancements.

“More than 60% are deploying AI to monitor for unusual behavior, more than half are using it for location tracking, and 45% cited use of biometrics-based access control systems,” Russo said.

AI’s Role in Enhancing Security and Threat Detection

Beyond traditional security applications, AI is proving invaluable in predictive analytics and risk management. AI can aggregate data from access events, visual monitoring and alarms to detect non-obvious relationships, enabling security professionals to address vulnerabilities proactively.

“AI can then be used to find non-obvious relationships which can predict where there may be security vulnerabilities so that security professionals can be more proactive and preemptive,” Russo explained. “In this way, AI is helping security teams stay ahead of the ever-changing threat landscape.  In a similar way, system vulnerabilities can be detected and mitigated to avoid disruptions through automated patch management.”

The study also found that AI-driven analytics are helping improve incident response. By analyzing log data, AI can identify potential threats, prioritize critical issues and recommend appropriate actions based on past incidents. Russo explains that historical information frequently contains indicators of future events. Techniques such as elastic search can be used to find potential vulnerabilities based on similar vulnerabilities that may have been exploited elsewhere.

“For example, AI can analyze log data to identify potential threats, prioritize the most critical issues quickly and even recommend the next action that could be taken based on previous responses — better enabling teams to help reduce false positives and help avoid false negatives and respond to incidents faster and more effectively,” Russo noted.

AI-Driven Analytics for Risk Management and Operational Efficiency

AI-driven analytics also playcrucial in helping security executives make more informed decisions. By leveraging historical data, AI can identify anomalies, patterns and trends that inform risk assessment and mitigation strategies.

“Historical data can help predict the future. It can also help to understand anomalies, patterns and trends. AI-driven analytics can help effectively cull intelligence from historical data,” Russo said.

These insights allow security teams to improve risk assessment, automate response mechanisms and ensure compliance with industry regulations.

Challenges in AI Implementation

Despite its benefits, implementing AI-driven security solutions presents challenges, particularly in integrating AI with existing infrastructure and addressing workforce skill gaps. The Honeywell study found that over 90% of building managers struggle to find skilled, tech-savvy professionals. Russo recommended leveraging AI itself to aid in workforce training.

“We would encourage any decision makers that are encountering this problem to tap into AI’s capabilities to help them with employee training to upskill and augment their current workforce,” he said. “We have found that it is a different skill set from what is required for more traditional system integration.”

Leading Sectors in AI Adoption

A number of verticals are leading the charge in AI adoption for security. Healthcare, retail, manufacturing and data centers are among the fastest adopters of AI-enabled security solutions. The following sectors exemplify the diverse and impactful ways AI is being integrated to drive innovation and efficiency.

In healthcare, AI is primarily used for administrative tasks, but there is growing interest in clinical applications such as reviewing electronic health records and enhancing patient care. According to the Medscape & HIMSS AI Adoption by Health Systems Report 2024, 86% of healthcare organizations are leveraging AI, with 60% recognizing its ability to uncover health patterns and diagnoses beyond human detection.

The retail sector is also experiencing a transformation driven by AI, with applications in personalized recommendations, inventory management and predictive analytics. The State of AI in Retail and CPG Annual Report 2024 by Nvidia highlights that nearly 50% of retail respondents believe generative AI will revolutionize customer experiences and marketing.

In manufacturing, AI is being used to enable predictive maintenance, optimize production processes and improve quality control. Bain & Company’s Global Machinery & Equipment Report 2024 notes that 75% of advanced manufacturing companies prioritize AI adoption to boost productivity and performance.

Data centers are witnessing a surge in AI adoption, driven by the need for enhanced performance, energy efficiency and scalability. Colliers’ recent report indicates that AI demand drove a record $57 billion in global data center investment in 2024, with hyperscalers making up around 80% of all data center demand.

“AI-enabled predictive maintenance and security monitoring systems are being utilized in data centers, as well as electronic access controls, biometrics and AI-powered security cameras to help maintain security around the physical facility,” Russo said.

Overcoming Barriers to AI Adoption

Understanding how to apply AI effectively remains a primary hurdle for some sectors. Russo stressed the importance of training security professionals to see AI as an ally rather than a replacement. “Helping them understand that AI can deliver answers to their questions, giving them the information needed to make critical decisions quickly, can help overcome barriers to adoption,” he said.

As AI and machine learning tools continue to advance, their accuracy and effectiveness improve, making them indispensable in modern security strategies. By embracing AI-driven analytics and automation, commercial building managers can enhance security operations, improve efficiency and stay ahead of emerging threats.

“Security teams must keep in the forefront of their minds that these tools can be very effective aids to help security teams gain situational awareness and provide intelligent assistance, allowing them to manage more facilities and assets effectively,” Russo said.

Honeywell commissioned Wakefield Research to conduct the Honeywell Building Managers Research Survey, which polled 250 U.S. building managers and senior decision makers across building types, including offices, hospitals, airports, schools, universities, hotels and data centers. To participate in the research, respondents had to use AI-enabled property management systems in buildings with 250 or more occupants.