Hikvision introduces new HIKO AI engine to Hik-Connect 7 in a major upgrade which simplifies day-to-day security management

HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hikvision has announced Hik-Connect 7, a major upgrade to its cloud-based security software that introduces HIKO, an AI engine, alongside a redesigned interface.

As small businesses, households, and enterprise teams connect more devices, cameras, and access points to a single account, people have always had to adapt to security software. The information needed to answer a question is usually already sitting somewhere in the system; finding it has simply taken time, experience, and manual work.

"HIKO changes that," said Eunice Yu, Hik-Connect Product Manager, Hikvision. "Instead of asking people to learn how to operate the system, we built HIKO so the system understands what people need and finds the answer itself." Because HIKO runs in the cloud, that shift reaches Hik-Connect's existing Team Mode and Personal Mode users directly through a software update, with no separate HIKO hardware to buy or install.

Three AI upgrades for everyday security work

Hik-Connect 7 centers on three upgraded experiences: AI Guardian, AI Search, and AI Assistant. Security teams and operators need to know and respond quickly when something happens, find the right target and understand what went wrong, and keep their devices, people, and vehicles running smoothly. With HIKO built into monitoring, search, investigation, and deterrence, the software moves from simply recording events to understanding them, analyzing them, and responding proactively. Together, the three upgrades form one AI-powered security experience.

• AI Guardian helps users know what is happening and respond quickly
  • Focus lets users concentrate on what matters without waiting for an alarm. The security team can add a known vehicle as a target, set a time and location, and let HIKO take it from there – linking footage across cameras as the vehicle appears, building an ordered timeline, and writing a summary.
  • AI Notification replaces the fixed list of alarm types. A user can describe what they want to be notified about, in plain language – for example, "alert me if someone falls and doesn't get back up" – and HIKO applies that rule going forward, tagging and summarizing matching events as they happen.
  • AI Deterrence escalates through tiered responses, from a standard warning to one that calls out the specific person or vehicle involved, describing their appearance and location.
  • AI Summary compiles a camera channel's people, vehicles, and alerts from the past 24 hours into a single daily overview, so a manager can catch up on a day's activity in minutes rather than piecing it together from separate logs and footage.
• AI Search helps users find the right target and understand what happened
  • Video Q&A answers direct questions about a scene, so staff can ask a question instead of scrubbing through hours of recordings.
  • Fusion Search combines video, access control, and license plate information together, giving a fuller picture of where someone has been without pulling records from three separate systems.
• AI Assistant helps users keep devices, people, and vehicles running smoothly

Users give a single instruction in natural language – for example, setting up visitor access for a specific vehicle – and HIKO carries out the related setup steps that would otherwise be configured one at a time.

A global rollout to all Hik-Connect users

Hik-Connect 7 is rolling out globally to both Team Mode and Personal Mode users. The update applies to the existing Hik-Connect app and portal and the devices already connected to it.

To learn more, visit the Hik-Connect page, or contact your regional Hikvision representative.