AI Security Camera + Intelligent Video Analytics — Engineering & Compliance Decision Sheet

One-page planner: the feature catalog (detect events / analyse behaviour / identify people), the three places the AI runs (camera edge vs on-prem server vs cloud VSaaS), the legal tiers (GDPR event analytics, EU AI Act Annex III(1) high-risk biometric, Article 5 prohibited real-time public identification), the embed-vs-assemble-vs-build split over ONVIF Profile M, the false-alarm and bandwidth math (~90-95% fewer false alarms; ~200 Mbps cloud vs KB of edge metadata for 50 cameras), and a privacy-and-compliance gate checklist (lawful basis, signage, DPIA, retention, NDAA Section 889).