AI-driven weapons detection is gaining traction in the security space, and many organizations are investing heavily in camera technology and smart sensors as the new frontline of protection. These tools undoubtedly enhance situational awareness - but they are not a standalone solution.
From a crisis management and security design perspective, AI is only one layer in a much broader defence strategy. True resilience requires people, process, and physical protection working in harmony - the same principles used to safeguard buildings and people against the threat of a marauding terrorist or active assailant.
The foundation of good security isn’t technology - it’s planning. A layered, or “defence-in-depth,” approach ensures that each barrier plays a role: to deter, detect, delay, and respond.
Security starts outside the perimeter with clear boundaries, controlled access, and visibility. It extends through the building with zoning, controlled movement, and safe areas that allow for lockdown or refuge. Each layer buys precious time - time that can mean the difference between safety and tragedy.
AI detection systems can alert operators to a potential weapon, but without physical and procedural layers supporting them, they provide awareness without true protection.
Violent attacks rarely occur without warning. Individuals on a “pathway to violence” often display clear signs - changes in behaviour, verbal threats, grievances, or fixation on a person or cause. Cameras can’t detect those cues. People can.
Organizations that train their teams to recognise and report concerning behaviours are far more likely to prevent incidents. Human awareness and communication are the first and strongest lines of defence and must complement any technological solution.
Physical security design directly affects survivability. The objective isn’t to make a building impenetrable, but to create layers of delay that slow an attacker’s movement and protect occupants.
Access control systems, reinforced doors, secure rooms, and clear evacuation routes all contribute to this. In an active assailant event, every second gained through delay equates to lives saved.
True resilience relies on integration - linking people, procedures, and technology into a single, coordinated system. When AI detection alerts are connected to lockdown systems, emergency notifications, and trained crisis managers, response time collapses from minutes to seconds.
Too often, organizations invest in technology but neglect integration. Effective planning ensures every alert triggers immediate, pre-defined actions - not confusion or hesitation.
Unity Advisory’s Active Assailant Services are designed to support clients with a complete, layered approach to prevention and response.
Our model combines preparedness with immediate deployment:
Review: Assess exposure and existing measures.
Plan: Develop or enhance crisis and active assailant plans.
Protect: Conduct audits, risk assessments, and physical-security improvements.
Train: Deliver role-specific training for executives, managers, and employees.
Respond: Provide 24/7 crisis support, deploying seasoned experts in incident management, behavioural assessment, and trauma care.
This integrated approach transforms insurance coverage into tangible protection, helping organizations meet their duty of care, minimise loss and accelerate recovery.
AI weapons detection can be a valuable tool - but it’s not a strategy. Lasting safety is achieved through layered protection, combining smart technology, well-designed spaces, informed people, and expert crisis response.
When these elements work together, organizations don’t just see threats sooner - they withstand them.
