Will AI replace security guards?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 17% of the working time in a typical security guard job today. The other 83% still needs a person.

83% of the work still needs a person.

Needs a person: 83%A person checking AI: 8%AI alone: 9%

The bracket under the bar is the evidence range for the share AI could take on: 12 to 17%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry.

13 responsibilities in a typical security guard job. Median pay $38,020 a year in the U.S. (BLS, May 2025).

Still needs a person

  • Patrol to keep order and protect property
  • Control who enters and leaves
  • Lock up entrances and exits
  • Patrol for signs of intrusion
  • Inspect and adjust security equipment
  • Respond to alarms and disturbances

AI can do or help with

  • Answer calls during off hours AI helps
  • Write reports on incidents AI helps
  • Call police or fire in emergencies AI helps

The biggest responsibilities of each kind. "AI helps" means AI takes on part of the work, or most of it with a person checking what it produces. See all 13, with the reason for each and the cost of handing them to AI.

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Questions people ask

Will AI replace security guards?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 17% of the working time in a typical security guard job today. The other 83% still needs a person. That is a split of the work, not a forecast of jobs lost.

Which parts of the job can AI do?

The biggest ones AI can do or help with: answer calls during off hours, write reports on incidents, call police or fire in emergencies.

Which parts still need a person?

The biggest ones: patrol to keep order and protect property, control who enters and leaves, lock up entrances and exits, patrol for signs of intrusion, inspect and adjust security equipment, respond to alarms and disturbances.

How is this measured?

The U.S. Department of Labor lists 14 responsibilities for this job (O*NET 31.0), and the split covers the 13 people in it do today. Each is scored on 4 questions: can AI do it, does it get it right, must a person sign for it, and do people need to deal with a real person. The split is weighted by how much of the job each responsibility takes up. The evidence range for the share AI could take on is 12 to 17%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry. Scores version 0.7.2, updated October 9, 2026.

Responsibilities from O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor). Pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. Scores are calibrated to published research and updated every month. How it works.

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