Jonathan Rickard, Senior Sales Engineer, i-PRO discusses how ethical AI‑powered cameras are transforming surveillance into smarter, more responsible tools for security and operational intelligence.

Supporting partners and end users across EMEA

My name is Jonathan Rickard and I am a Senior Sales Engineer at i-PRO EMEA, part of a dedicated team focused on supporting our partners and end users across the region.

We work closely with the sales team, technology partners and end users to design and deliver products that meet real-world requirements, whether that means advising on system architecture, assisting with complex bids or providing on-site technical support.

A core part of the role involves hands-on involvement throughout the lifecycle of a project.

From installation and commissioning to troubleshooting and post-sales support, we’re often in the field working alongside engineers to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Our technical expertise spans networking, server and storage infrastructure, operating systems and VMS and analytics applications.

We also play an active role in continuous improvement.

Each month, i-PRO sales engineers around the world take part in a global meeting to share feedback, raise integration requests, discuss product developments and coordinate with R&D teams.

At the EMEA level, I contribute to strategic planning discussions around training, go-to-market support and upcoming product launches, ensuring our team is always aligned with partner and customer needs.

How do i-PRO solutions balance cutting-edge accuracy with strong privacy protection?

At i-PRO, we believe it’s possible to deliver advanced technology without compromising on privacy.

Our approach starts with edge AI processing, which means analytics are handled directly on the camera.

This reduces the need to send video to external servers, helping protect privacy while improving real-time performance.

Across our range, we offer over 200 AI-enabled camera models powered by Ambarella SoCs.

These are some of the most advanced AI chipsets available today, designed to deliver excellent image quality and analytics precision.

To ensure this technology is developed and deployed responsibly, we’ve established seven Ethical Principles for AI.

These principles guide our global teams in aligning technical innovation with human rights, transparency and accountability.

Privacy is not an afterthought; it is integrated into our R&D processes from the beginning and embedded in product design and development.

Features such as i-PRO’s Privacy Guard offer real-time, in-camera pixelation of human faces or bodies as required.

We are also aware of the potential for bias in AI algorithms and take active steps to minimize it.

Our models are trained on large, diverse datasets and we continuously monitor performance to ensure fairness and accuracy across environments.

If issues arise, clear communication channels are in place to escalate and resolve concerns.

Most recently, i-PRO was the first manufacturer in the industry to obtain ISO 42001 certification, a new standard to ensure the responsible development and use of AI systems.

By combining technical excellence with a comprehensive ethical framework, we deliver high-performance AI that customers can trust.

How does i-PRO tell the positive story of AI adoption – positioning your technology as a tool that enhances safety?

Our AI-powered cameras are designed to support security teams with real-time intelligence that reduces response times and improves situational awareness.

The anonymous data collected about people and vehicles helps teams make better informed decisions about events that may require attention.

For example, instead of manually reviewing hours of video footage, operators can now search for individuals based on clothing color or accessories and get results in seconds.

If a person of interest is identified, security teams can instantly set rules to generate alerts if they reappear on other cameras, helping prevent potential incidents before they escalate.

Our AI analytics go beyond traditional uses.

For example, our AI cameras can detect someone running using a speed analytic in a restricted area and alert security teams in real time to unusual behaviour.

Cameras have evolved from being just image sensors to powerful data generators.

This shift has moved the focus away from improving image quality to maximizing the intelligence built into each camera.

As an example, i-PRO’s X-series camera range will not only capture footage but it can analyse it – making real-time decisions and even enhancing older, legacy systems with AI capabilities.

Across our projects, AI has proven its value beyond security.

In a leading NHS hospital, i-PRO X-Series cameras have been used to support patient flow and space management, enhancing both safety and operational efficiency.

How does your Responsible AI Framework ensure products stay ethically sound as AI capabilities evolve and new regulations like the EU AI Act come into play?

We’ve built a Responsible AI Framework at i-PRO that that aligns with regulations like the EU AI Act while keeping ethics at the heart of everything we do.

Every AI feature we develop must serve a clear and legitimate purpose in the context of safety and security.

We avoid applications that could be misused or that may fall into restricted categories under current or future laws.

Our Ethical Principles for AI are applied across the company, from R&D to deployment.

This helps teams stay mindful of how each analytic might be used or misused.

Before launching any new feature, we put it through a detailed review, including any third-party applications integrated into our platform.

i-PRO understands that ethical standards cannot be uniformly imposed across diverse contexts, be that culture, country-specific nuances or local laws.

We also support our customers in using AI responsibly.

Our Sales Engineering team work with partners and end users to advise on appropriate use cases and to avoid scenarios that could raise ethical or legal concerns.

By equipping users with the knowledge and resources to apply ethical guidance to AI systems we aim to foster a culture of ethical stewardship and accountability within the security space.

To ensure consistent quality, we work only with certified i-PRO partners who receive advanced training on how to install, support and use our technology responsibly.

This proactive approach helps keep our products ethical, compliant and trusted.

What does being the first in the industry to achieve ISO/IEC 42001 certification mean for i-PRO?

Becoming the first in the physical security industry to achieve ISO/IEC 42001 certification is a major achievement for i-PRO.

This new international standard sets out how companies should manage AI responsibly and our certification shows that we meet those expectations.

It proves that i-PRO has the right processes in place to manage the risks that come with AI, such as difficult decision-making or systems that learn and evolve over time.

It also reinforces our commitment to aligning AI development with international standards and human rights.

For our partners, customers and regulators, it’s a clear sign that i-PRO technologies are built and deployed with care.

From design to deployment, we apply ethical checks and controls to ensure our systems are safe and trustworthy in real-world settings.

As our CEO, Masato Nakao put it: “We believe it’s our responsibility to ensure these technologies are developed and deployed ethically, transparently and in ways that respect human rights.”

This isn’t just about compliance.

It positions i-PRO as a leader in responsible AI and sets an example others in the industry can follow.

How have your product features – such as safety, monitoring and feedback loops – evolved in recent years?

We develop our products in close collaboration with our partners, integrators and end users.

We’ve built strong feedback loops into our engineering workflows, capturing insights from customers, distributors and certified partners to ensure our products evolve in line with operational challenges our customers face every day.

Our Sales Engineering teams meet regularly to share this feedback, which is logged through our internal systems and used to inform future enhancements.

Whether it’s a request for a new analytic feature or an adjustment to improve usability in specific locations, these ideas are essential to shaping our roadmap.

We also have an internal AI Ethics Committee that reviews new development proposals to make sure we stay aligned with ethical and regulatory expectations.

The committee plays an important role in evaluating high-impact features and ensuring human oversight remains a central part of how our AI works.

At the end of the day, our goal is to support – and not to replace, security professionals.

We’re building tools that help people do their jobs more effectively and with greater confidence.

How are your solutions evolving to proactively identify and mitigate new threats?

We’re always developing new analytics and improving our existing ones to stay ahead of new threats.

A good example is our AI-based Video Motion Detection (AI-VMD).

When first launched, it offered a basic set of features, but thanks to ongoing customer feedback, we’ve significantly expanded its capabilities.

These enhancements are available even on first-generation AI cameras released over five years ago.

That commitment to continuous improvement ensures long-term value for our customers.

We also work with a wide range of third-party analytics partners to bring specialist capabilities into our ecosystem.

These include tools such fall detection, smoke and fire alerts and other forms of situational awareness, allowing customers to tailor systems to their specific needs.

Cybersecurity is just as important.

We’re fully NDAA-compliant and follow strict standards like FIPS 140-3 Level 3 to help protect the networks where our products are deployed.

By combining continuous product development with an open, flexible architecture, we’re making sure our products can adapt as our customers and partners’ needs evolve.

This article was originally published in the September edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.