Brivo: Cloud, AI to Drive Fundamental Shift in Video Surveillance for 2026

Brivo has released its “2026 Trends in Video Surveillance” report, outlining seven developments expected to reshape how businesses use video systems in the coming year. The report points to a shift beyond traditional video recording toward systems that support proactive safety measures and business intelligence use cases.

Video surveillance is undergoing what the report describes as “a fundamental transformation” driven by advances in software capabilities, expanding regulatory requirements and real-world operational demands. Rather than evolving gradually, the report states that these forces are accelerating change across commercial environments.

The seven trends are:

• Cloud-based AI is now the default, not the exception
• Enterprise cloud adoption reaches a tipping point
• Regulation grows as a foundational business reality
• Privacy and PII protection become the operational standard
• Incident response gives way to active readiness
• Gun detection emerges as a critical feature
• Parking becomes a key operational driver 

A central theme running through all seven trends is the continued dominance of cloud infrastructure. The report characterizes the cloud as the platform that enables organizations to access video from any device and location while supporting system expansion through open APIs, standard data formats and flexible display options. When properly architected, cloud infrastructure also supports continuous system updates including interface improvements and bug fixes. In some cases, firmware updates and other software improvements can be applied across connected cameras, according to the report.

Artificial intelligence is also identified as a unifying force shaping modern video systems. The report notes that while AI has long been used to detect unusual or dangerous activity, its role is expanding to support new workflows, custom searches and business-specific reporting with minimal or no programming required. These capabilities allow organizations to extract operational insight from video data in addition to improving security outcomes.

The report also points to a shift from reactive incident response to active readiness, the emergence of gun detection as a critical feature and the growing operational importance of parking environments.

“Understanding these developments helps businesses determine how to best leverage their surveillance infrastructure,” the report states, pointing to “the sustained dominance of the cloud” and the “rising and fast-evolving use of AI.”

Commenting on the findings, Brivo CEO Dean Drako said the report reflects a broader inflection point for enterprise security. “2026 is a turning point, as the majority of enterprise businesses start the move to cloud-native security,” he said in an announcement.

The report, which can be downloaded here, is intended to help decision-makers determine how to best leverage existing surveillance infrastructure while planning for future needs. It is designed for business leaders, IT managers and security integrators tasked with navigating privacy obligations, public safety concerns and technology modernization.