How Will AI Impact the Locksmith Profession?

It seems we do not have to go far to hear about the rise of Artificial Intelligence applications and the impact it will have on society. There will be inevitable benefits in terms of efficiency improvements and cost savings, but there is also the risk of job losses and a lack of human connection. But how will AI specifically impact the locksmith profession – especially in view of the fact that we see more and more technological advancements in smart lock-related products. This article written by Lock Guy (a professional Locksmith based in Essex) attempts to find out how will AI impact the locksmith profession.

The impact of AI is Inevitable

Many say that manual jobs like being a locksmith are immune to AI and it is true that we do not have AI robots that will physically replace the work that locksmiths do.

Nevertheless, locksmiths should be prepared for the impact of AI (positives and negatives) and be ready to upskill to deal with the increased demand for AI integrated technical expertise in home security.

Potential Benefits of AI for the Locksmith Profession

In the same way that Uber and satellite navigation systems have de-skilled London taxi drivers that used to spend years learning ‘the Knowledge’, some might argue that it will allow easier access to the locksmith profession without the need to put in the time to learn the locksmith trade as the information and answers to lock problems are all potentially available quickly via AI. This may make it a more competitive landscape that may drive down prices for consumers as the skills and experience required will reduce.

Users will certainly benefit from improved AI-driven smart locks that will only improve with things like facial recognition that can learn user behaviour and make decisions regarding access.

Locks and locking mechanisms may well be able to self-diagnose issues and have remote reporting functionality (rather like some cars do with many sensors identifying issues).

For locksmiths (and other trades), it will speed up and reduce costs for certain aspects of the job, especially on the ‘indirect’ elements, for example:

Quickly summarising complex technical manuals
Comparing many different products
Identifying replacement parts
Comparing supplier prices and stock levels and integrating this to a stock management system in the van/workshop
Marketing: e.g. website content, social media posts, automated customer emails, sales trend analysis, producing graphic designs for advertising campaigns, etc.
Administration: invoicing, quoting, accounting, planning jobs, answering general enquiries, 24/7 responses, etc.

Risks of AI for Locksmiths and Customers of Locksmiths

There may be a lack of accuracy (without suitable verification of sources) of AI with incorrect or false information.

This, coupled with the fact that members of the public may feel more confident tackling locksmith jobs themselves if they have AI resources to rely on, could lead to issues not getting properly resolved.

Since locksmiths deal with security and with a greater reliance on technology, then things like hacking, data breaches, ransomware lockouts, software glitches and power outages could lead to risks regarding the security of properties.

These types of issues could actually lead to increased costs for the consumer if issues need to be resolved by a locksmith who is likely to charge more than they previously would have done.

Longer-Term Wider Potential Considerations

AI is the next evolution of smart locks and smart homes and these advancements will provide benefits in terms of convenience and security once the reliability is proven.

Therefore there will inevitably be a reduced demand for traditional locksmith skills.

There will also be a wider environmental impact as AI requires more power to run all the systems and there are big questions about an over-reliance on big tech firms that only care about profits, not to mention the potential of AI becoming sentient.

The effect of people using AI solutions more and the decrease in human contact may have a wider impact on the social aspect of humanity. Being a locksmith is a lot about talking and meeting people and studies have shown that mental health issues increase in the absence of human contact.

Should Locksmiths and Locksmith Customers be Worried?

Being a locksmith is all about trust when it comes to dealing with security, keys and access. It remains to be seen whether consumers will easily jump to AI locksmith solutions.

Overall, being a locksmith is currently a good option if you want to select a profession that AI cannot easily replace. There is a certain ‘feel’ that comes with experience and skill when dealing with locks that cannot currently be replicated by AI.

AI cannot (yet) replace locks, pick locks, fit locks or bypass locks… but it may well have a strong impact on how businesses operate and indeed which locksmith gets the call when someone does have an issue they cannot resolve.

I hope this article on how AI will impact the Locksmith profession has been interesting. If you have any lock related issues in Witham, Maldon or across Essex, contact Lock Guy!

Got a question about a lock issue you may have? Why not have a look at the FAQ page or one of the helpful advice videos on the Media page.