Security camera company Wyze has launched a new AI-powered filter designed to reduce notification fatigue from its security cameras. The "No Big Deal" (NBD) filter, available to owners of Wyze's security cameras with a Cam Unlimited Pro subscription, uses machine learning to rank detected motions and only alert users to the most important events.

The NBD filter is a response to the common problem of constant notifications from security cameras, which can make them more annoying than useful. By filtering out irrelevant events, Wyze aims to provide users with a more streamlined and effective way to monitor their homes and properties. The filter can be turned on in the Wyze app and is part of the company's $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year Cam Unlimited Pro subscription.

Wyze trained its AI model to rank detected motions on a scale from one to five, only sending users notifications for "highly ranked events that require attention." Examples of ranked events include routine activities like a robot vacuum cleaning (score 1), a package delivery or a baby crying (score 3), and critical situations such as glass breaking or an unknown person lingering near the door (score 5). Recordings of all events are still stored in the user's app.

The NBD filter builds on Wyze's AI-powered Descriptive Alerts, launched in January, which send detailed descriptions of events rather than simply alerting users to motion or detecting a person, pet, or vehicle. The company has also added AI-powered search last year, allowing users to search recorded footage by keyword.

Wyze is not the only company exploring AI-powered features for security cameras. Ring launched an AI-powered search feature last year, and Google Nest cameras added descriptive alerts powered by Gemini as a beta feature last summer. Arlo also recently added AI-powered personalized alerts, and a new company, Seemour.AI, provides descriptive alerts for Ring cameras for free. However, Wyze is the first to launch a notification filter of this kind.

While the NBD filter has the potential to significantly reduce notification fatigue, it also raises questions about user control and the risks of relying on AI to decide what events are important. As the technology continues to evolve, it will be important to strike a balance between reducing nuisance alerts and ensuring that users receive critical information in a timely manner.

The launch of the NBD filter is a significant development in the smart home security space, and its impact will be closely watched by industry observers. As the technology continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see more companies adopting similar approaches to reduce notification fatigue and improve the overall user experience.