On Tuesday ADT announced an exciting new acquisition for anyone looking to the future of home security — and it’s no surprise that AI is part of the story. In a $170 million deal, ADT bought Origin AI, which specializes in detecting people in places like the inside of your home, something the security company calls AI sensor technology.
ADT did not disclose specific AI technology plans, but this comes at a time when concerns about corporate surveillance by companies like Ring and Flock have reached fever pitch.
“ADT has been testing and evaluating early acquisitions of Origin technology,” said ADT Chief Business Officer Omar Kahn. “In 2026, the focus is on integrating the technology into the ADT platform, with commercialization expected to begin in 2027.”
The sense of presence does not sound like a conversation, which creates a snapshot major language models we consider AI these days, and human and vehicle recognition include companies such as the use of Ship. It’s a system that analyzes home Wi-Fi frequencies for interference. The AI is trained in pattern recognition to identify which disturbances indicate that people are at home (ignoring pets) and what they might be doing.
Technology has grown in many areas over the past few years. I’ve seen it before aging technology in place again New Philips Hue smart bulbsbut recently with Aqara sensor at CES 2026able to see when many people are gathering, standing, sitting or sleeping.
How does presence sensing affect people’s privacy?
An AI sensor like this has both privacy benefits and concerns.
It’s unclear how ADT will use Origin’s presence sensor in its home security systems, although the company has talked about intelligent automation, personalization and the reduction of false alarms. In one example, it can automatically configure the supported ADT the thermostat when many people were found wandering around the house. But that also raises privacy questions.
Presence sensor, like Origin technology, has some privacy benefits. It does not use cameras to film anyone or store video recordings of people, and it does not create identity-based profiles. in the person’s face or other data. It cannot tell who is in the house, only where they are and how/when they get there (or if they don’t move).
That allows for capabilities like notifying a nursing home that a resident isn’t out of bed when they usually wake up, without an invasive investigation. But the technology also raises privacy concerns: A company can know when people in their home are lying in bed, watching TV, or sitting down to eat dinner, even if it can’t identify them by name.
ADT calls out features like these home alerts, but also talks about coordinating with municipalities and communicating with first responders. That can mean giving firefighters information about how many people are in a burning building. But there are concerns. Recent news reports indicate that some local law enforcement agencies have shared information with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for use in home and apartment raids, suggesting the possibility that the technology could be used in similar situations.
The technology’s ultimate impacts may depend on how ADT chooses to use and manage it. Until those details become clearer, its promise and its dangers remain closely intertwined.
