Perceptions of AI Home Security

Key takeaways

• More than 4 in 5 homeowners (82%) would pay more each month for a security system that actively deters intruders instead of only recording.
• Nearly 3 in 5 homeowners (59%) say a camera that only records is not enough and would rather have one that prevents break-ins.
• Just over a third of camera owners (34%) say their camera recorded a crime that went unsolved.
• More than 4 in 5 crime victims (85%) say they would likely switch to a system that actively deters intruders.
• The most-wanted AI feature is a camera that talks back, with more than 2 in 5 homeowners (41%) choosing two-way voice that warns an intruder they have been seen.
• More than half of homeowners (55%) say proof it actually stops crime is what would most convince them to upgrade.
• Nearly 2 in 5 homeowners (39%) say the benefits of AI-powered home security outweigh the drawbacks.

Home security cameras are everywhere, but most of them share the same limit: they record what happens instead of stopping it. A new Vivint survey of 1,004 Americans found that homeowners have noticed that gap, and they are ready for cameras that do more than press record.

From what people have actually faced at home to what they would pay for a system that steps in, here is what homeowners told us about the shift from watching to acting.

The recording trap

Most homeowners have a camera story, and too often it ends with footage and nothing else.

Over half of homeowners (54%) had faced at least one property crime or suspicious incident at home in the past five years, from a stranger lingering on the property to a stolen package. Yet only 11% said their home security camera or system actually stopped or prevented an incident, while 24% said it recorded something that went nowhere. Among camera owners, the gap was sharper still, as 34% said their camera captured a crime that went unsolved.

Package theft has reshaped daily habits. Just over a quarter of homeowners (26%) have changed how they shop or receive deliveries because of it, a figure that jumps to 58% among those who have actually had a package stolen. Younger homeowners have adapted the most, with 33% of Gen Z changing their delivery habits compared with 12% of baby boomers.

No surprise, then, that nearly three-fifths of homeowners (59%) said a camera that only records is not enough, and they would rather have one that helps prevent break-ins in the first place.

What homeowners actually want

Asked what would actually make them feel protected, homeowners leaned toward security that acts, not just observes.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) said an AI system is as effective or more effective at preventing a break-in than a camera that only records. The features they want most read like a wish list for active deterrence: two-way voice that warns an intruder topped the list at 41%, followed by a loud siren triggered by a real threat (37%) and a spotlight that tracks a person as they move (30%).

Interest in a camera that talks back actually grows with age. Two-way voice was chosen by 34% of Gen Z but 53% of baby boomers, and older homeowners were the most sold on the technology overall, with 41% of baby boomers calling an AI system more effective than a recording camera compared with 31% of Gen Z.

Homeowners are also warming to the idea of letting the system act on its own. Nearly half (47%) said they would trust an AI system to respond to a threat before they even see the alert, and nearly two-fifths (39%) already say the benefits of AI home security outweigh the drawbacks, with most of the rest still weighing it rather than ruling it out.

The prevention premium

Wanting prevention is one thing; homeowners also told us they would pay for it.

More than four in five homeowners (82%) said they would pay more each month for a system that actively deters intruders instead of only recording. Younger homeowners would stretch the furthest, as 44% of Gen Z would pay more than $25 a month, and their typical premium worked out to about $30, the most of any generation.

What finally converts a shopper? Proof. More than half (55%) said hard evidence that a system actually stops crime is what would most convince them to upgrade, far ahead of a recommendation from someone they know (13%) or a lower price (12%).

The appetite is strongest among people who have already been through it. More than 4 in 5 crime victims (85%) said they would likely switch to a system that actively deters intruders. Overall, 80% of homeowners are open to AI home security or plan to add it, even though just 4% have it today.

Then and now: What has changed since 2023

This study is a follow-up to Vivint's 2023 research, and comparing the two shows how quickly the conversation has moved.

Willingness to pay for AI-driven security has climbed from 67% in 2023 to 82% today, and the share of homeowners planning to add AI features in the next year ticked up from more than one in 10 to 15%. Overall sentiment has held steady: 39% see the benefits outweighing the drawbacks now, close to the 37% who were open to AI security three years ago.

Some things have not changed at all. Crime victims are still the most motivated group, and younger buyers still say they would pay the most. Because the two surveys worded their questions differently, these comparisons show the direction of change rather than an exact figure.

Where home security goes next

The message from homeowners is clear: a camera that only records is quickly becoming the baseline, and people increasingly want security that can step in to warn, deter, and respond rather than simply hand them footage after the fact. If you are weighing an upgrade, it is worth looking for features like two-way talk, active deterrence, and smart alerts that focus on real threats, and choosing a provider that is transparent about how it protects your data and privacy. The technology homeowners say they want already exists; the real question is how quickly the rest of the market catches up.

Methodology

For this campaign, we surveyed 1,004 Americans in August 2026 to explore their perceptions of integrating AI into home security systems. Among them, 55% owned their home, 33% rented, and 12% lived with family, friends, or another arrangement. Generationally, 21% were Gen Z, 47% were millennials, 23% were Gen X, and 9% were baby boomers.

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