Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Loss prevention has always been a critical part of running a successful business, but today’s threats require more than manual reviews and spot checks. From internal theft to missed procedures and external shrink, businesses need faster, smarter tools that help them act in real time.
That’s where AI is helping teams do more with less. With video security systems that are powered by AI, loss prevention is shifting from reactive to proactive. Investigations that used to take hours now take minutes. Patterns that were hard to spot now surface automatically. And teams no longer need to dig through hours of footage or review endless reports to find answers.
This article covers how AI is assisting in loss prevention today, where traditional methods fall short, and which tools are helping security and operations teams take control of shrink.
See how Solink can help with your loss prevention needs right here.
What is AI-powered loss prevention?
AI-powered loss prevention uses artificial intelligence to analyze video, transaction data, and behavior across a business. Instead of relying on human review alone, AI tools surface potential theft, policy violations, or unusual patterns automatically.
By connecting cameras with data sources like point-of-sale (POS) systems and access control, AI can track what’s happening in real time and flag anything that seems out of the ordinary. It also makes it easier to review incidents, speed up investigations, and prevent future loss.
This approach doesn’t replace your team. It gives them better tools to find and fix problems faster.
Why traditional loss prevention methods fall short
Manual loss prevention methods depend on people watching video, running reports, and responding after something has gone wrong. That takes time, and it often misses the patterns that lead to bigger losses.
Some common issues include:
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Too much footage to review manually
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Delayed responses that allow problems to repeat
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Disconnected systems that don’t share information
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Difficulty proving intent or confirming what really happened
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Over-reliance on reports without video context
AI solves these problems by connecting your systems and surfacing what matters most, when it matters most.
Get your business AI‑ready today
Our free AI Readiness Guide walks you through what it takes to successfully adopt AI—from evaluating current systems to building a roadmap for implementation. Learn how to prepare your operations, people, and processes for AI-powered results.
The 5 things making it far easier for loss prevention teams
AI-powered tools are giving loss prevention teams more control, better accuracy, and less guesswork. Here are five features that are changing how investigations happen and helping prevent losses before they grow.
1. POS and video integration
When AI connects your POS system with video footage, you get more than receipts and transaction logs. You get visual proof of what happened during every sale, return, or void.
AI can flag unusual transactions like:
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High-value returns
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Frequent discounts by one employee
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No-sale drawer openings
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Refunds without a customer present
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Manual price entries instead of scans
Each alert comes with a linked video clip, so teams can investigate right away without running manual reports or reviewing hours of footage.
2. Motion searching within video
Instead of scrubbing through long recordings, AI-powered motion search lets you draw a box on any part of the video and instantly see all the moments where motion occurred in that area.
You can focus on:
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Specific doors or shelves
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High-shrink zones
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Areas that should not have traffic after hours
This makes investigations faster and more targeted. It also helps spot incidents that were not tied to any POS data or access logs.
3. Spot checking
Spot checking allows teams to quickly jump to key moments, verify activity, and confirm that procedures are being followed. Whether you’re reviewing shift changes, cash handling, or after-hours behavior, spot checking with AI highlights only the moments that matter.
It helps with:
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Auditing opening and closing routines
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Reviewing safety compliance
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Checking vendor activity or delivery drop-offs
What used to take hours can now be done in minutes.
4. Zone tracking and line crossing
AI can track motion in specific zones and alert your team when certain lines are crossed. This is especially useful for:
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Monitoring backdoor activity
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Catching early signs of time theft
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Verifying deliveries
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Watching for access to restricted areas
You can set up alerts when someone enters or exits a zone, crosses a defined boundary, or moves through an area at a time they shouldn’t.
5. Video alarms
Video alarms take motion detection to the next level. Instead of generic motion alerts, AI helps verify whether movement is linked to a real security threat.
When suspicious activity is detected in a sensitive area, the system records the moment, attaches the video, and sends an alert to your team or a monitoring partner. This reduces false alarms and gets the right response faster.
Video alarms are useful for:
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After-hours movement
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Unauthorized access
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Activity in restricted zones
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Door propping or forced entry
They provide immediate visibility and reduce the need for constant live monitoring.
AI is helping loss prevention teams save time, reduce shrink, and make faster decisions. When connected with video and POS systems, it creates a smarter security setup that works 24/7 without slowing your team down.
Better loss prevention starts with smarter tools
Loss prevention no longer has to mean hours of video review, disconnected reports, or reacting after the damage is done. With AI-powered tools, businesses can detect threats earlier, investigate faster, and protect their bottom line more effectively.
From motion search to POS-linked video, zone tracking to verified alarms, AI is helping loss prevention teams do more with less — all while improving accuracy, accountability, and response time.
Whether you’re managing a retail location, a warehouse, or a franchise network, the right technology can help you spot the patterns, stop the losses, and focus your team where it matters most.
Solink brings all of this into one platform, built to make loss prevention easier and more effective.
Schedule a demo to see how AI and video work together to protect your business.