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We think it’s safe to say that Kevin Marcus, Co-Founder and CTO of Versium, isn’t a believer in quantum computing. “QC is likely to end up in one of two places: wherever the cold fusion tip jar is, and a very small, select set of problems where high error rates can be tolerated. In some ways, QC may end up as a ‘random answer generator’.”
So, despite being a serial entrepreneur, we don’t think Kevin will be backing a company in that sector. Besides, he’s far too busy with Versium, a data technology company that helps marketers identify, understand and – surely most importantly – reach their ideal customer.
Kevin describes himself as a technical evangelist, and that shines through this interview where he shares his views on everything from ethics, the rebirth of augmented reality and AI-enhanced robots.
And it’s worth reading to the end, as Kevin describes a book that influence him. Here’s a clue to its identity: “People generally think linearly: one, two, three, four,” he said. “But an exponential technology counts faster: one, two, four, eight. This book has an optimistic view of the power of exponential technologies and their impact on the human race.”
Keep reading to find out which book Kevin is talking about, and why he particularly loves one essay by Albert Camus…
The three areas that will see the most significant changes in the IT industry over the next 5-10 years are security, automation and AI. As AI systems begin to integrate with APIs and evolve into “chatbots that can do things,” there will be an incredible increase in automation and powerful agents that will be able to automate workflows. While much of this automation will be applauded, integration with legacy systems will continue to be a major challenge.
While this automation will help take care of many “nuisance tasks,” like resetting passwords or updating software patches, some systems are bound to run afoul of these automated agents. This will lead to an increase in the difficulty of problems faced by the typical IT department. For example, if a password reset also requires MFA and a device has gone missing, or if a patch breaks a previously functional workflow, understanding the interconnectivity of systems that were partially assembled by AI may become challenging for the typical IT worker.
Furthermore, all this automation will also lead to a huge demand for security (some of which will be driven by AI) to ensure that these automated solutions and adapters are not misused or abused. Identity and security will move to the forefront of discussions with “trust” becoming a problem. Many IT departments may grant AI agents too much system trust to increase efficiency. However, unforeseen abuses—such as billing the wrong person, editing ACLs on the wrong account, or exporting analytics to the wrong users—will ultimately require IT to become more security-sensitive and act as a counterbalance to the “AI everything” movement.
Several emerging technologies will shape IT over the next decade, but not all of them will deliver on their promises. Perhaps most notable will be the biggest flop of the current emerging technologies: quantum computing (QC).
While there have been some recent improvements, QC is likely to end up in one of two places: wherever the cold fusion tip jar is, and a very small, select set of problems where high error rates can be tolerated. In some ways, QC may end up as a “random answer generator”. The randomness in the answer is where it may find value: coming up with a solution that might not otherwise be obvious or constructible using current algorithms. IT’s real challenge here will be fending off the “cool thing of the day” discussions that are bound to distract them from solving real problems.
We will also see a second wind for augmented reality. While currently a tiny niche, decreasing latency and technological advancements – particularly from the automotive industry – will give new life to AR. When combined with AI-driven educational systems, AR will usher in a new era of edtech. An explosion of improvements will cause a resurgence in the “do it yourself” world. More workers will feel empowered to try to solve issues on their own, potentially complicating the problem.
For example, consider an AR system that highlights defects in an item. If there is a high false positive rate from the AR identification system, this could put more strain on IT departments to fine-tune the system further. However, at some point, over-tuning may cause it to miss other defects. This familiar optimization problem will continue to challenge IT departments of the future as they grapple with new systems they may not fully understand.
One of the most promising areas is robotics. With AI-enabled robotic systems, some IT departments may find themselves in a more mobile world, where they will need to be deployed to the field to address issues that arise. Many robots will have some form of connectivity, but because they are mobile, mechanical issues will be inevitable – they may get stuck, suffer broken parts, or require periodic maintenance and repairs.
One major area of concern for IT ethics is the misuse of systems and/or data. We’ve already seen the problems created by data breaches, but as more sensors and data collection bots appear, the risk of misuse grows. In some cases, the misuse may appear benign or playful, but it can later turn into a bigger problem, especially with the ever-changing legal landscape. Additionally, some of these risks may not come from professionally set up systems. For example, the number of home security cameras with internet access is already quite large. With social media rewarding absurd or obscene content, misuse of these systems could become a headache for IT professionals.
Many systems come with guardrails to prevent misuse, but it often takes some imagination and a few iterations to set them properly. They usually start out either too restrictive or too lenient, with future versions adjusting those guardrails. Consider a bank system that also holds crypto – given a publicly available blockchain, how much visibility should the bank give to its clients, and vice versa, with transactions? How should the visibility of these systems be limited for service agents? Finding the right balance between information availability and security often takes several iterations and can become an annoying back-and-forth for IT.
Personal bias may also impact IT. While many firms have policies and procedures, bias can easily affect how these policies are perceived and interpreted. For example, IT professionals often have administrative access to the systems they manage. This level of access can create risk perception challenges: “Should I play that video game during my downtime on my work computer while logged into the system as an administrator?”
Policy: No. Risk: Low? Medium? High?
Another area where bias may come into play is in selecting vendors or software packages. It’s common for previous work or personal relationships to influence decisions, even when they may not be in the best interest of the organization. This can lead to overvaluing or undervaluing a vendor based on past experiences rather than objective criteria. Even when using data-driven approaches, the way data points are recorded or weighted can be influenced by these biases.
While AI systems will continue to be a major requirement for all technical professionals, there are subtle quirks to these systems. For example, today’s systems often struggle with different versions of similar software. Some may provide incorrect or misleading advice for a particular version, and it will be up to IT teams to ensure they closely monitor which versions they use. Furthermore, version (in)compatibilities will begin to grow and be patched together through a smorgasbord of loose scripting or middleware, often AI-generated. Artifacts and nuances in these implementations could keep IT desks busy for a long time.
One way to help mitigate this is through a strong architectural foundation. The ability to apply IT skills to create specific solutions that scale over time as a business grows and evolves will become increasingly important for IT professionals. With AI helping connect disparate systems more seamlessly, a full understanding of how a system operates will become more fleeting. IT teams may need to have a high-level architectural understanding to help prevent snafus as a system evolves.
Security will also become increasingly valuable for IT professionals. With the massive increase in the complexity of software systems and interconnectivity, fewer people will fully understand the deployment of large-scale systems. This will make it even more difficult to properly assess the security of a system and understand the implications of changes that may occur.
Historically, many of the challenges of the digital divide were around costs and infrastructure. However, these barriers are being addressed with wireless technologies, clean mobile energy such as solar, and general advances in technology that continue to drive costs down. Just consider the implications of DeepSeek on the cost of AI model-building estimates!
Some cultures still have real-world concerns that need to be addressed. These challenges include the necessities of life – food, water, shelter, and warmth. Systems designed to alleviate these challenges – for example, 3D-printed houses or clean water solutions – are still difficult to deploy and can be costly. Further investment in these fundamental needs opens up more time for these cultures to engage further in the digital world.
Once the basic needs are addressed, an unexpected area that could help accelerate adoption is social media. Today, for example, it is estimated that half of all online content is in English. While translation systems exist and apps can be localized through automation, the nuances of culture may make translated content less appealing to native speakers of underrepresented languages. However, as more individuals from these cultures begin to come online and share content, social media can play a significant role in amplifying their voices and helping them engage with their own culture. Additionally, these platforms can serve as a space for sharing techniques to address real-world challenges.
Another issue lies in payment systems. While most digital payment platforms support multiple currencies, there is still, surprisingly, an opportunity for alternative currencies such as crypto to become more widespread. Crypto also offers a cross-border currency benefit that may help in areas with weak banking infrastructure. Social media platforms can further support this by providing visibility and safety guidelines to help users avoid scams in the crypto space.
There’s an interesting book by Peter Diamandis called Abundance that focuses on the impact of exponential technologies. For example, the amount of computing power in a typical 1980s calculator was 10 to 15 times more powerful than the computer used to send people to the moon. The mobile phone in your pocket? Thousands of times more powerful – but who would have thought it? People generally think linearly: one, two, three, four. But an exponential technology counts faster: one, two, four, eight. This book has an optimistic view of the power of exponential technologies and their impact on the human race.
Looking at Musk, Bezos or the late Jobs, it’s common to hear colleagues say they just think faster than other people and see things others don’t. But really this may be because they are not linear thinkers. They’re more like a good savings account – compounding interest. But even though the concept is so challenging for people to grasp, we created the Rule of 72 to describe it in a more linear way, with one division instead of scary exponents.
In Albert Camus’ incredible essay, The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus muses about the meaning of life existentially. Considering two sides of a coin– that some people find something they are willing to die for, while others feel their life is meaningless– he offers the brilliant suggestion that any individual can create their own meaning, their one true, ultimate choice of how to live life and what it means.
When looking back at technological advancements over the past decades, the most lasting advancements are usually those that genuinely improve people’s lives– just as Bezos, Musk, and Jobs have done. Therefore, finding a way to leverage exponential technologies to make life better for everyone seems a pretty solid recipe that Camus would surely approve of.
