Wilson Security innovating security for tomorrow – networking lunch series
1 April 2022
As Australia’s leading security company, Wilson Security understands the particular relationship new technologies play in both responding to and shaping elements of geo-politics.
The company’s ‘Innovating Security For Tomorrow’ (ISfT) program includes a series of lunches held across the country, in which Wilson Security invites leading thought leaders to shed light on the possibilities and challenges facing business, societies and government today and in the future.
Delivered by Wilson Security CEO Chris Goodall, the latest ISfT event was run in late March in Sydney, providing over 70 leaders across a range of industries and sectors the opportunity to hear from two leading thinkers. The topic of the day was the relationship between geo-politics and emerging technologies, featuring global futurist Dr Keith Suter and Business Development Manager for Video Security and AI at Avigilon, Phillip Brewer.
“There is a recognition that we’re on the brink of change on a different scale,” said Chris Goodall in opening the event. “The pandemic has been a waking call on every aspect of our society and now we are facing the ongoing impact of serious international geopolitical pressures."
“Events like today and the discussions society has now can act as an engine room for growth. One that seeks to create a world where we are socially responsible, accountable, and where we protect the future of our businesses and the communities we live in.”
The future of geo-politics and global technology trends with Dr Keith Suter
Dr Keith Suter is the Managing Director of the Global Directions think tank. He is one of Australia’s most influential global futurists and media commentators in national and foreign affairs.
At Wilson Security’s ISfT event in March, Dr Suter spoke to the four possible types of global governance facing society in the future and their relationship with business and security management.
There are four ways global politics can go, Dr Suter pointed out. These range within a spectrum, with a complete governance vacuum and chaos on the one end (the “Wild state”) through to a world order managed by corporations rather than government on the other. While we’re in what Dr Suter calls a “Steady state” of national governments maintaining their management of countries, he points to a rise of nationalist leaders as a potential destabiliser of this form of governance. This trend of nationalistic leadership reveals signs of a “Wild state”, said Dr Suter, with disintegrated national governance and potential chaos creeping in.
The answer to successfully and ethically introducing new technologies to help maintain the healthy democratic management of countries, Dr Suter pointed out, lies in our approach to ideas today.
Dr Suter emphasised a need for a diversity of voices in any conversation and approach to the future. The 2008 global financial crisis saw siloed conversations and activities within the finance industry that had global ramifications. Avoiding narrow conversations and ideas, while seeking to understand the unexpected possibilities in geo-politics, is key for the success of corporate and government leaders to fulfill their roles in society.
Embracing new innovations in security and analytics with Phillip Brewer
Phillip Brewer spoke at the March event to the topic of Big Data’s rise in society, requiring great skill in focus from all of us to effectively manage it. This comes in the face of the adage from Herb Simon, the father of AI, that “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”
Brewer noted that AI presents the opportunity to help us focus our attention on what matters. Through AI, we can remove or limit the complexity that impinges on how we address rising security issues in society – from terrorism through to pandemics.
The ethical use of AI is key to its successful implementation, Brewer noted. To achieve this, it can be viewed as a tool to aid what we do manually, not replace us. We must also thoroughly understand the technologies we employ.
This event was the second in Wilson Security’s new ISfT series of events. Programs in both Brisbane and Perth are to follow. For more information on upcoming events, email contact@wilsonsecurity.com.au.
