Where AI Stands in Fire & Life Safety: A 2025 Snapshot

It’s hard to go a day without seeing some mention of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it is or will change how we live and work. Every industry seems to be working on integrating AI into its offerings, from heavy-duty equipment manufacturing to home appliances and children’s toys. 

The fire and life safety field (FLS) has historically been slower to adopt new technologies. There’s a sound rationale behind this: lives are at stake. New innovations must be examined from all angles and stress-tested to ensure they’ll save lives instead of endangering them. AI, for all its capabilities and potential, is being greeted with cautious enthusiasm. Those in the fire protection business can see where it will eventually be an asset, but acknowledge that it needs trialling and regulation.

But that cautious enthusiasm has brought with it some anxiety: If AI is so smart, how long can it reasonably be controlled? Will it take over jobs entirely? What happens if it’s wrong?

We strongly believe that AI can be a boon to the FLS field, but we wanted to know what others thought. So, we spoke with a few folks in the industry to get their sentiment. We’ll also be sharing a broader look at industry sentiment – including perspectives on technology adoption, operational pressure, and the role of AI – in our upcoming Fire & Life Safety Industry Report. Stay tuned for more insights there.

What kind of AI are we talking about?

Before going any further, let’s define what we mean by “AI” in the fire protection industry.

The stars of the moment are Large Language Models (LLMs), or the chatbots you’ve seen all over the news. Think ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Grok, and others. They are not artificial intelligence in the classical, thinks-for-itself sense. They are pattern-matching machines that consult massive amounts of information contained in their databases to generate answers to queries. 

There are also image recognition AIs that can spot items in a photo or video. But like LLMs, image recognition AIs are still detecting patterns in data. The classical sci-fi AI that many imagine — whether it’s aiding the good guys or acting as an antagonist — depicts a sentient intelligence that can reason and has self-awareness. 

Today’s systems are powerful, but they are narrow, performing defined tasks rather than acting as fully autonomous minds. 

Where is AI Being Used in the Fire & Life Safety Field?

“AI is proving to be incredibly valuable in the fire and life safety field by augmenting the human expertise we already have,” says Connor Nash, Digital Programs Manager at Securitas USA. He points toward its ability to interpret huge amounts of data — far more than even the brightest human could hope to consume and analyze. “[It can] scan system designs against the latest fire codes and flag potential compliance issues before they even hit the desk of an AHJ,” he says. 

Faster, more accurate processing of data means corrections can be made on the spot, rather than downstream when something goes wrong. A fire protection-centric LLM can also provide near-instant insights and recommendations based on the data it has around a building and its history. 

AI also provides a quieter, but equally helpful role behind the scenes. Design and inspection firms have used it to improve operations, including in scheduling and dispatch, equipment monitoring, and reporting –  all areas that can consume large amounts of time otherwise. This is the philosophy behind tools like Inspect Assistant: purpose-built AI designed to support technicians and office teams with documentation, workflows, and decision-making – without removing human oversight from life-safety-critical processes.

The Role of AI in Training

While much of the hubbub around AI has been centered on the immediate shifts it can bring to those already in the workplace, many of the people we talked to highlighted another, less visible area where it can assist: Training. 

Connor returned to his point about human expertise: a well-programmed LLM has all the regulatory and manufacturing knowledge of a top technician, and that knowledge can be accessed by others at any time. “It’s the ultimate amplifier,” he says. “[It’s] essentially giving everyone the wisdom of your most seasoned veteran, available 24/7.” 

We return to the idea of an AI embedded in the design or inspection process, pointing out a potential problem as soon as it happens. The human designer or inspector can review the flag and determine whether to proceed; if the flag is indeed an error, then they’ve just learned something valuable. 

AI may also be able to augment a shrinking pool of inspection technicians. “The workforce has [fewer] experienced technicians [than ever],” pointed out Dr. Guido Poncia, Director of Engineering, Fire Safety UL Products at Siemens USA. The newcomers to the field are not outpacing the retirements, and if this continues, fewer technicians will have to do the work of many. AI can help that happen and lead to a more streamlined system that is easier to learn and maintain. 

AI in Fire Suppression Designs & Maintenance

Guido said he sees great potential in AI’s ability to make buildings safer and easier to maintain. Right now, if something goes wrong in a fire suppression system, you end up on the phone with tech support and may even have to bring in an engineer to troubleshoot. With AI, though, “You talk to the system, and the system can help you solve the problem.” 

He sees AI having a large role in human-centric autonomous buildings. “You don’t have a fire safety system in isolation,” he explains. Instead, the building takes in data from all of its systems: air conditioning and lighting systems can potentially detect smoke, and the locations of occupants can be detected through the security system. 

Such a system could direct people in real time to a safe escape route if a fire is blocking certain areas. It could also direct firefighters to the areas they should be concentrating on. “We’re not there today, but it’s something we’re investing in,” he says. “The future of the fire safety profession, from our perspective, is part of the larger autonomous building wave.” 

Challenges Around AI

While having an “always-on” colleague with access to all of the FLS data that ever existed can offer countless benefits, the adoption of AI is not without risk. 

Chief among them is regulatory uncertainty. At the moment, much of the regulation around AIs is done on a state-by-state basis. AI features permitted in Montana may be illegal in California, and vice versa. The FLS industry already has some experience in shifting state regulations, but the newness of AI, and the speed with which it evolves, make keeping up with changing legislation uniquely difficult.

There is, too, the issue of AI-generated mistakes. There’s no question that it’s smart, but it can also “hallucinate,” or generate incorrect or nonsensical answers. Understandably, the idea of ceding so much responsibility to a program that can get it wrong should be approached with wariness. In the fire protection field, a mistake can lead to fatalities. 

Knowing this, the question of how warmly AHJs will embrace AI, if they do at all, remains.

Guido understands the hesitation. “Life is at stake,” he says. He believes the resolution will be in integrating new AI systems with existing technology that has proven itself. “We need to design our systems in such a way that, if anything happens, we can go back to traditional systems that we know work.” That, he believes, “will [make it easier] to persuade AHJs that new technology is working, and it’s safe.” 

The Human Element

Some fields have, unfortunately, seen AI as not just a useful colleague but also a cost-cutting measure. The FLS industry, with its tight regulations around safety, has not taken that path. Regulations exist for a reason, and one minuscule miscalculation can put lives at risk. Everyone we spoke to felt that while the efficiency AI could bring to the field was exciting, there also needs to be a strict focus on keeping humans in charge.

“AI should assist, not decide,” says Connor. 

Guido compared the buzz around AI to the arrival of the first computers. Once upon a time, he says, “a computer doing math by itself was quite shocking. So was the internet. AI is very smart, but at the end of the day, it’s a technology change like any other that will create a transformation. It will develop into something that will bring opportunities for people.” 

The Future of AI in Fire Protection

AI as we know it is moving quickly, but remember: it’s still in its infancy. The “gee whiz” elements quickly become old news as new features and uses are developed. 

The future is bright, but the hesitance to jump in with both feet remains. Connor understands those who want to move slowly. “That sense of caution isn’t something to suppress,” he says. But on the flip side, he warned that a resistance to adoption is its own risk, particularly for those running a business. As a real-world example, he points at Blockbuster: “They weren’t overtaken overnight,” he points out, “they just waited too long to adapt while Netflix changed how the same core service was delivered.” 

AI is poised to play an ever-larger role in fire protection: assisting with routine tasks and actively shaping smarter, more adaptive safety systems. As it continues to advance, the industry will gain powerful new tools to prevent incidents and respond faster when they occur. 

Is it daunting at times? Yes. Should we ignore it? Never. 

“[We] have an incredible opportunity to make our lives, our properties, our businesses safer in a better way,” says Guido. “We need to be optimistic in that sense. At the end of the day, if [we’re] able to save more lives, that’s when we reach the goal.”