[Square] In the With-Corona Era, the Key to Access Management is ‘AI’

Jo Hyeong-jun, Head of TP Division, ADT Caps

One year after the outbreak of COVID-19, safe access management has become a natural part of daily life. No longer fumbling, people now routinely check temperatures and prepare QR code screens wherever they go. The access logs, which suffered from personal information leaks and false entries, have also improved through trial and error. This is because a social consensus was formed on the need for thorough access control to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and ICT and security infrastructure capable of supporting this have rapidly advanced.

The field most closely connected to our daily lives is "access security." Through several pandemics, various contactless access solutions have emerged and continuously evolved. The scenes of lining up to verify identity and temperature have disappeared, replaced by walk-through systems that quickly and automatically measure multiple people at once. What does access security look like in the so-called "With COVID" era, where we continuously respond to the coronavirus and live together?

In the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, there was a reliance on manpower due to the absence of systematic access control systems. Temperatures were measured directly at entrances using thermometers. Individual measurements took a long time, and face-to-face contact was inevitable for temperature checks, which sometimes increased the risk of infection. Later, thermal cameras were introduced, enabling more systematic management of access routes. This method allowed simultaneous temperature checks of multiple people at building entrances. Although concerns about face-to-face contact were resolved, the need for constant management personnel and the lower accuracy of temperature measurements required further improvement.

Subsequently, a more advanced contactless access security system appeared. An artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition solution capable of simultaneously verifying identity, checking temperature, and detecting mask-wearing was introduced. This was all thanks to AI technology. The security industry had already been developing and commercializing AI-based facial recognition terminals that could replace employee ID cards. When combined with the COVID-19 situation, it became possible to build a powerful COVID-19 prevention system by adding fever measurement and mask-wearing verification. Thermal cameras also evolved. They can now quickly recognize only human faces for precise temperature measurement, even when people are holding hot drinks. There is also a solution where, after registering just one photo, deep learning AI learns not only the frontal face but also side faces within 30 degrees up, down, left, and right to recognize identity.

Recently, AI facial authentication solutions have been gradually segmented to allow selection according to the purpose of use by industry. In workplaces used by unspecified large numbers of people, solutions specialized in fever checks and mask detection are applied instead of identity verification. In restaurants and shopping malls, managers do not need to be present to confirm fever warnings and mask non-compliance. Access authentication solutions for medical institutions have also been released, reflecting the need for meticulous fever management in environments different from general workplaces.

With the With COVID and post-COVID eras, access security is expected to further advance through AI technology. This is because the fields where access security platforms can be utilized are becoming limitless beyond just preventing virus infections. Access security is expected to play roles in preventing safety accidents and serious crimes, establishing convenient working environments, and strengthening social safety nets. With the added competitiveness of AI technology, it is hoped that access security will take responsibility for the safety of future society.

Cho Hyung-jun, Head of TP Division, ADT Caps