Debunking the myths about AI cameras

At the recent European Rental Association conference, Ardent’s Jeremy Fish gave a compelling talk on AI camera systems in construction safety. While often marketed as "AI," most current systems are better described as Human Form Recognition (HFR) cameras – simple detection tools that lack genuine intelligence or adaptive decision-making. These systems can identify people in hazardous zones around moving machinery, issuing alerts to prevent collisions. But they often generate excessive false alarms, undermining their usefulness and leading to operator fatigue.

Jeremy highlighted the urgent need for smarter solutions, given HSE data showing around 50 annual deaths in the UK from contact with moving plant – 10 of which occur in construction. He challenged the industry to move beyond the hype of “fake AI” and adopt real AI that learns, adapts, and provides meaningful insights.

Ardent’s response? Ardent Eye – a true AI-powered system built using advanced YOLO algorithms and custom Nvidia processing. Ardent Eye filters out false positives, reducing alerts by up to 97%, helping customers focus on real near-miss events. It’s available through Ardent’s Site Manager portal or API.

In short, smarter tech saves lives. And thanks to Ardent Eye, AI is finally starting to live up to its promise on site.