Kangaroos on camera: Ring’s new AI makes Aussie home security go wild

New AI cameras from Amazon-owned Ring can now spot kangaroos and possums in the backyard, turning security footage into a wildlife documentary.

A kangaroo caught on a Ring security camera. It AI can now detect Australian wildlife.

Home security cameras just got a lot more Australian.

Amazon-owned Ring has launched a new artificial intelligence-powered “Smart Video Search” feature that is capable of identifying not just humans and pets, but also native wildlife like possums and kangaroos, changing the way Australians can monitor unexpected guests and other “magic moments”.

The Smart Video Search (SVS) feature leverages a combination of computer vision and large language models to classify and search video content. Beyond standard detections like humans, pets, vehicles, and packages, Ring’s international managing director Dave Ward said the company has tailored the AI for the Australian market to capture scenes from our unique landscape.

“We’ve localised it for Australia. So you’ll be able to search for possum, you’ll be able to search for kangaroo. We know the difference between that, of course, and a dog,” Mr Ward said.

Smart Video Search is available on all Ring doorbells.

“So it really is built with locality in mind, with a consumer in mind, in the region.”

Beyond traditional security, SVS is revealing unexpected discoveries for users. Mr Ward said he has discovered raccoons at his Florida home, leading to a “raccoon watch” camera that became a family activity. He expected similar “magic moments” for Australian users, potentially spotting foxes or other nocturnal creatures they never knew inhabited their backyards.

But it’s not just wildlife. Mr Ward said his ring camera captured a deeply personal moment: his two-year-old son’s first bike ride while he was travelling for work.

“I was in Finland, and then I got a notification. I looked at it, and it was my two-year-old taking his first bike ride. Like, wow. I wouldn’t have seen that if it wasn’t for Ring and feeling to connect back to home.”

Ring managing director Dave Ward said the company has tailored its cameras for the Australian market.

These experiences underscore that SVS is not just about security, but also about peace of mind and preserving cherished memories.

“That’s what you see with all customers. They use the product for security, and then they start to find other things that they might use it for, keeping an eye on the kids – call it a digital referee,” Mr Ward said.

“Sometimes in the garden, when that event comes in, the two kids are like, ‘hey, he did, she did’. Well, let’s check on the camera. So people are using it for lots of different things around the home.”

The Smart Video Search feature comes as AI adoption in Australian homes is becoming more widespread. McCrindle research, which Amazon commissioned, found that 68 per cent of Australians use AI daily through smart home automation, even if only 14 per cent realise it.

Daily AI usage is more pronounced among younger Australians, with Gen Z at 44 per cent and Gen Y at 40 per cent. The study was based on the responses of more than 2000 Australians.

Such smart technology includes anything from voice activated speakers and TVs to security solutions like package detection and burglary prevention. Mr Ward said SVS is poised to meet evolving customer needs.

“What customers told us is that it’s great when I get my footage around the home. But when there’s a lot of activity, it’s quite tiring or difficult to be able to actually narrow that down to the things that are really important. So the service that we’re launching really simplifies that.”

Ring has made it easier to search footage recorded on its cameras.

Amazon also overhauled its Alexa voice assistant earlier this year to make it smarter and more conversational to reignite its struggling devices division and remove the friction from speaking to a computer to perform everyday tasks.

The new Alexa+ assistant can find footage with simple verbal prompts such as “has anyone walked my dog today?” or “have had I had any parcels delivered”, becoming a virtual security guard.

Ring cameras also feature blackout zones to allow users to exclude specific areas from recording, ensuring no sensitive data is even processed from those regions. Mr Ward said end-to-end encryption further enhances user privacy.

“We’ll continue to keep innovation on behalf of the customer. Fundamentally, what we do is we just take customer insight and customer feedback to us and keep building.”