In June, students at San Diego State University (SDSU) discovered through their student newspaper that more than 1,300 AI-enabled cameras had been installed across campus over the previous two years, including more than 330 in residence halls. The cameras, made by Avigilon, are capable of facial recognition, licence plate reading, behaviour analysis and crowd density tracking. SDSU says the advanced AI features are switched off, and the system is there to keep students safe. However, students say they were never told what the cameras could do, and that knowing they could be watched in those ways, including in the buildings where they live, changes how the environment feels. While the SDSU story is set in the United States, the underlying questions it raises are relevant to student accommodation providers worldwide. As AI-enabled and data-driven technology moves from the back office into buildings, and from buildings into residential settings, providers need to be clear and able to explain where the line lies between care, convenience, safety and surveillance. AI as a student companion and coach For a growing number of students, AI is already part of how they manage their own wellbeing, with or without their accommodation provider’s involvement. HEPI’s 2026 student generative AI survey found that around 15% of UK students are already using general-purpose AI tools for companionship, advice, or to address loneliness. It also found that 8% of students use counselling or therapy services provided solely by AI, and 4% use services where counselling or therapy is provided partly by AI. This does not mean that student accommodation providers should rush to replace human support with chatbots. If anything, it points in the opposite direction. Students are already experimenting with these tools, so the sector needs to be clear about what AI can safely do, what it should