Will AI replace security guards?
Updated
Security guards score 26 of 100 for AI exposure. 60% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 15% today and speed up another 25%.
- 15% AI can do it
- 25% AI helps
- 60% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 69% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 14 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 4 and leaves 8 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences. AI can draft daily incident reports from notes; guard reviews. | 70% AI can do it |
| Answer telephone calls to take messages, answer questions, and provide information during non-business hours or when switchboard is closed. After-hours info calls can be handled by AI phone or chat agents. | 60% AI can do it |
| Monitor and adjust controls that regulate building systems, such as air conditioning, furnace, or boiler. Building controls are largely automated; AI can help monitor and tune settings. | 45% AI helps |
| Answer alarms and investigate disturbances. Alarm triage can be software assisted, but investigation is physical. | 30% AI helps |
| Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency, such as fire or presence of unauthorized persons. Emergency calls are quick, but the guard must judge and report. | 30% AI helps |
| Operate detecting devices to screen individuals and prevent passage of prohibited articles into restricted areas. Scanners need a person; AI can flag threats in screening images. | 30% AI helps |
| Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises. Checking people in person at entry points needs physical presence. | 22% Needs a person |
| Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings. Physically locking doors and gates needs presence and hands on keys. | 12% Needs a person |
| Inspect and adjust security systems, equipment, or machinery to ensure operational use and to detect evidence of tampering. Physically inspecting and adjusting equipment needs hands-on work. | 12% Needs a person |
| Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates. Physical patrol of premises needs a person on site. | 10% Needs a person |
Show the other 4 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property. Circulating among people to keep order is live and physical. | 5% Needs a person |
| Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics. Hands-on first aid and emergency care needs in-person response. | 3% Needs a person |
| Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary. Confronting, detaining, or evicting violators needs physical, legal accountability. | 3% Needs a person |
| Escort or drive motor vehicle to transport individuals to specified locations or to provide personal protection. Driving and escorting people is physical work for human drivers. | 3% Needs a person |
How security guards compare
All occupations (923)
Protective service (26)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $38,020 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 1.3 million in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +0.9% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Write incident reports in Microsoft Word with times and photos
- Log alarm and patrol events in Microsoft SharePoint lists
- Operate X-ray and metal detector screening equipment on site
- Hold ASIS Certified Protection Professional (CPP) credential
- Hold a current first aid and CPR certification
- Review AI-drafted reports in Microsoft Outlook before sending
Safer roles nearby
4 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about security guards and AI
Will security guards be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 2 in 10 of a security guard's working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly writing daily activity reports and answering after-hours calls. Patrolling, confronting violators, and locking doors stay with people because they need a person on site.
Which tasks are AI taking over for security guards?
Writing daily activity reports is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 70, because AI can draft incident reports from guard notes. Answering after-hours phone calls, scored 60, can go to AI phone or chat agents. The guard still reviews the draft and signs off on what gets filed.
Which tasks stay human for security guards?
Warning, detaining, and evicting violators scores 3 on exposure because it needs physical presence and legal accountability. Locking doors and gates, scored 12, needs hands on keys at the site. Patrolling premises, scored 10, needs a person walking the grounds to spot intrusion.
How can security guards stay valuable?
Train on X-ray and metal detector screening so you run the equipment and judge what the AI flags. Write clear incident reports in Microsoft Word and file them in SharePoint so your review stays fast. Keep first aid certification and use-of-force training current, since those tasks stay with you.
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