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UniFi AI Key Setup and FAQs

AI Key is an advanced edge AI appliance designed to elevate your UniFi Protect security system. It enhances detection capabilities with powerful features like NeXT AI natural language search, AI alerts, speech transcription, image enhancement. Setting up the AI Key is quick and straightforward, allowing you to unlock advanced AI-driven insights that transform how you monitor and secure your environment. 

Overview

AI Key works as an edge appliance by receiving smart detections from paired UniFi cameras. Traditionally, Protect cameras are only able to recognize very basic objects such as people and vehicles.  AI Key takes these basic smart detections and runs them through a series of advanced AI models to provide powerful new features. While the models used by AI Key provide many useful new features, they might occasionally return inaccurate results. Over time these models will be optimized to improve their accuracy and add additional features. 

Setup

  1. Connect the AI Key using PoE++ power.
  2. Adopt the AI Key to UniFi Protect. To learn more about adoption, go here.
  3. Allow several minutes for the initial firmware update to complete.
  4. Navigate to UniFi Devices > AI Key > Settings.
  5. Select which cameras for each of the AI Key features. Note that AI Key can only process 1,000 detections per hour, so it’s important to be strategic with which cameras are paired.
    1. Computer Vision Enhancement: Enables Next AI Search, AI Alerts, and NeXT AI Summary
    2. Speech to Text: Create transcripts from speech smart detections. 
    3. License Plate Recognition: Enable LPR on G4/G5 series cameras
    4. Face Recognition: Enable Face Recognition on G4/G5 series cameras.
    5. Face Enhancement: Enable manual enhancement of Face Recognition events.

Natural Language Search

Each smart detection processed by AI Key is analyzed and categorized in the background. This enables NeXT AI Natural Language Search in the Find Anything tab. Enter a query into the search bar to quickly locate footage based on a general description. Results are best when searches describe people or vehicles.

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AI Enhanced Alarms

AI Key integrates with Alarm Manager to bring AI alerts to UniFi Protect. Configure up to 5 predefined search queries to receive alerts for any detection that matches the query. AI Alerts can be configured using the following steps:

  1. Navigate to Alarm Manager and create a new alarm. 
  2. Under Trigger, select Objects -> AI Key Advanced
  3. Enter the desired search query and adjust the match confidence. 
  4. Under scope, select which cameras to apply the query to. 
  5. Under Action configure notifications and web hooks.

For more information about Alarm Manager, click here.

Speech to text

AI Key provides transcription of speech smart detections provided by AI series cameras. Easily read through a conversation instead of listening to the entire clip. Transcriptions can be found on the find anything page by selecting a detection and clicking on the show transcript button.

Face Enhancement

The face enhancement feature on AI Key uses advanced AI algorithms to clarify and refine facial details captured by UniFi Protect cameras. It improves image quality by reducing noise, enhancing resolution, and sharpening key facial features, making it easier to identify individuals in various lighting conditions. Face enhancement is manual action that can be triggered on the Faces page.

NeXT AI Summary

AI Key will provide detailed event descriptions for each detection processed. This is available by clicking on a detection in the find anything tab and enabling Next AI Summary in the detection highlight dropdown.

Face Recognition and LPR

AI Key also has the ability to provide Face Recognition and LPR on Protect G4/G5 series cameras. This functionality is similar to AI Port but there will be delays in processing depending on the length of the queue. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does AI Key provide equal benefit to all Protect camera models?
AI Key's performance depends on the quality of smart detection data received from the cameras. Protect AI series cameras offer longer-range, higher-quality smart detections giving AI Key a larger range of coverage. Any event not recognized as a smart detection by the camera will not be processed by AI Key. Speech transcription is only available with Protect AI series cameras that support speech smart detections.
How accurate is AI Key Natural Language Search?
AI Key natural language search is ideal for locating specific detections using simple phrases like "FedEx truck" or "person walking a dog." It works best with concise queries related to people and vehicles. Only detections processed by the AI Key are included in the results. The models used by AI Key provide improved functionality, but they might occasionally return inaccurate results. Over time these models will be optimized to improve their accuracy and add additional features.
Why aren’t older results showing up in Natural Language Search?
Natural Language search only searches detections that have been processed by AI Key. Older detections or detections from cameras not paired with AI Key will not be included in the results.
Does AI Key integrate with Alarm Manager?
Yes, AI Key integrates with Alarm Manager. Up to five natural language search queries can be configured to trigger alarms when matches occur above the selected confidence threshold.
How does AI Key process Smart Detections?
AI Key processes smart detections in the order received via an internal queue. * Queue Limit: 200 events (excess detections are discarded). * Recommendation: Use additional AI Keys or reduce paired cameras if the queue is frequently overloaded.
How long does AI Key take to process Detections?
The time to return results depends on queue length. A full queue can delay processing up to 15 minutes.
How many cameras can AI Key support?
AI Key can pair with an unlimited number of cameras, but it has a processing capacity of 1,000 smart detections per hour.
What types of cameras are compatible with AI Key?
AI Key pairs with all Protect cameras that support smart detections, including: * G4 Series * G5 Series * AI Series * Cameras connected via AI Port
How does Face and License Plate Recognition work with AI Key?
AI Key adds face and license plate recognition for Protect G4/G5 cameras, with a higher capacity than AI Port. However, AI Port offers real-time processing, while AI Key's results depend on queue length.
When should I use both AI Key and AI Port?

AI Port is required to use Protect G3 or ONVIF third party cameras with AI Key. AI Port processes the streams in real time and adds smart detections. These detections are further processed by AI Key to enable more advanced functionality. 

Additionally AI Port is required to receive real time Face and LPR detections G4 and G5 series cameras. See the table below for a detailed comparison:

  AI Series G4/G5 Series G3/ONVIF
AI Port Not Compatible Real Time Face Recognition and LPR Real Time Smart detections, Face Recognition and LPR
AI Key

Natural Language Search

AI Enhanced Alarms

Advanced Computer 

AI Summaries

Face Enhancement

Speech to Text

Async Face Recognition and LPR

Natural Language Search

AI Enhanced Alarms

Advanced Computer 

AI Summaries

Face Enhancement

Speech to Text

Not Compatible
AI Port + AI Key Not Compatible

Real Time Face Recognition and LPR

Natural Language Search

AI Enhanced Alarms

Advanced Computer 

AI Summaries

Face Enhancement

Speech to Text

Real Time Face Recognition and LPR

Natural Language Search

AI Enhanced Alarms

Advanced Computer 

AI Summaries

Face Enhancement

Speech to Text

How many AI Keys do I need for my environment?
Each AI Key can process up to 1,000 smart detections per hour. For high-traffic environments or setups with many active cameras, additional AI Keys can prevent queue overloads and maintain optimal performance. There is no limit to the number of AI Keys connected to one console.
What languages are supported for speech transcription and Natural Language Search?
Only English is supported at this time.
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