In short
- 5.4.122 is the camera firmware, not the Protect app. The new AI functions also need Protect 7.2 and AI Key firmware 2.2.5.
- Two things matter in practice: PPE detection (helmets and hi-vis vests only) and a second AI check against false alarms.
- Without an AI Key neither function runs. Two camera models do not receive the update yet.
Three levels that have to match
The most common mistake starts with the name. "Cameras 5.4.122" is the firmware of the camera itself. The two new AI functions, however, do not live in the camera alone. They also need the Protect application in version 7.2.98 and AI Key firmware 2.2.5. All three shipped on the same day.
If one of the three levels is missing, PPE detection and the second AI check quietly do nothing. The camera still shows a clean image, but the new functions simply do not appear. That is not a fault. It is a requirement worth knowing before you update.
The right hardware is part of it too. PPE detection and the second check run only with an AI Key. A plain camera-and-NVR setup without that add-on hardware does not get the new AI functions. Promising them without first checking whether an AI Key is installed means promising something the system cannot deliver.
What PPE detection does – and what it does not
PPE stands for personal protective equipment. The camera flags people who are missing the required gear. In practice that means exactly two items: a helmet and a hi-vis vest. Gloves, safety goggles, hearing protection or safety boots are not detected.
For the island this is still a real use case. On large villa building sites, for developers, in warehouses in the Polígono – Son Castelló or Marratxí, for instance – and in industrial or winery operations, helmets and vests are mandatory. That follows from Spanish occupational safety law (Ley 31/1995 PRL, RD 773/1997 EPI). A camera that reports missing protective gear meets a genuine need here.
One point limits the scope: throughput. According to the manufacturer, one AI Key handles roughly 1,000 detections per hour. Another source cites up to 1,800 smart-detection events per hour – which figure applies to PPE is contradictory and unproven. Only the direction is certain: on a large site with many cameras this quickly becomes a bottleneck. So PPE belongs on strategically chosen cameras, not across every one.
Second Stage Verification: fewer false alarms
The second addition works in the background. When an event is uncertain or several object classes compete, a second, stronger AI model checks it before an alarm fires. The goal is fewer false alarms.
This is the point where a system stands or falls in daily use. A camera that flags every branch and every cat at night ends up ignored. Whether the second check measurably lowers false alarms is a manufacturer claim, though. There is no independent measurement. We state it honestly as what it is: a plausible approach whose effect has to prove itself in operation.
What else improves
Beyond the two AI functions, 5.4.122 brings the usual refinements. Smart-detection accuracy rises on the G4 and G5 lines; on the G6 a memory optimisation improves reliability. Among the fixes: loitering detection that kept running after being switched off, and an H.265 stream drop on the G4 Doorbell Pro.
One change concerns Pennsylvania plates with a slashed zero. That is a purely US detail and offers nothing for Spanish or EU plates. For licence-plate reading on the island this update brings nothing documented.
Important for anyone who needs footage as evidence: the 7.2 app signs recordings with a SHA-256 value, verifiable at evidence.ui.com. The visible watermark on the image is only unlocked by camera firmware 5.4. So 5.4.122 is the camera side that activates this function in the first place.
The legal side on Mallorca
Anyone recording employees on video – and PPE detection does exactly that – is in the realm of labour law and data protection. In Spain the rules of the data protection authority AEPD apply, along with Ley 31/1995 and the duty to inform employees under Art. 89 LOPDGDD. Staff have to be informed about the monitoring.
This is not legal advice, and we do not give any here. Before deploying PPE or person detection in the workplace, the legal framework needs to be settled with a qualified party. Technically possible does not automatically mean permitted.
| Function | Requirement |
|---|---|
| PPE detection (helmet, hi-vis vest) | AI Key present + firmware 2.2.5 + Protect 7.2 |
| Second Stage Verification | AI Key present + firmware 2.2.5 + Protect 7.2 |
| Visible watermark (Evidence) | Camera firmware 5.4 |
| Better smart detection G4/G5, reliability G6 | Camera firmware 5.4.122 only |
Who the update is worth it for
For construction and industrial clients with an AI Key, 5.4.122 together with Protect 7.2 is a sensible step – above all for PPE detection and the calmer alarm behaviour. For plain camera setups without an AI Key, the update mainly delivers the image improvements and bug fixes, not the AI functions. And if you still run an AI PTZ Industrial or AI PTZ Precision: those two models do not receive 5.4.122 for now.
Check before updating
- Is an AI Key installed? Without it, PPE and the second check do not run.
- Is the Protect app on 7.2.98 and the AI Key on firmware 2.2.5?
- Are AI PTZ Industrial or AI PTZ Precision in use? Those models do not get 5.4.122 yet.
- Which cameras really need PPE? The detection limit per AI Key is finite.
- Have staff been informed about the monitoring (Art. 89 LOPDGDD)?
A firmware update is applied quickly. The work comes before it: checking which levels match, which cameras carry which function, and whether the deployment is legally sound. We plan and maintain entire installations, not single cameras – with a fixed German-speaking point of contact who still knows, three years on, which AI Key sits where and why. That is the difference we stand for.
Sources
- Release notes UniFi Protect Cameras 5.4.122, community.ui.com (provided)
- releasebot.io/updates/ubiquiti (accessed 2026-08-04)
- blog.ui.com – Welcome to Protect 7.2 (2026-08-04)
- msdist.co.uk – UniFi Protect 7.2 (2026-08-04)
- help.ui.com – UniFi AI Key Setup and FAQs (snippet only, full text 403)
Related reading
German-speaking IT service for fincas, villas and businesses on Mallorca. Networks, Wi-Fi, security technology and smart home — planned, installed and maintained.