Spaning av Mark Ingram, Data scientist and mathematician, Athega AB

What trends do you see that will affect us the most in the next 3 years?

• The trend of increased conflict in Europe and the world.
• The continued upward trend of post pandemic shut in syndrome Hikikomori numbers.
• The increasing trend of AI usage - digital Artificial Intelligence in computers.

What consequences will those trends have? (From a personal perspective of IT)

All these trends will result in an increased use of computers, IT and the web. So there will be a lot to do in the IT sector, to support all the necessary changes that should be made, to meet the trends.

The trend of increased conflict in Europe and the world

The conflict in Europe will bring challenges in all areas of IT work. Quickly consider one example, the manufacture of Computer Chips. Long story short. Computer chips make modern society, and its conflicts, work. Chips are currently produced mostly in Taiwan, a country aggressively claimed by China. It makes sense to produce chips in your own country, and not rely on the global market. Something that America and Europe are racing to do. Paradoxically, making chips in Europe and America will cause a destabilizing effect in the Taiwan/China conflict.

As the protection given to Taiwan, by virtue of its importance as sole global chip provider, diminishes.

Conflict will also bring into focus how we use Information Technologies. Specifically, how safe they are to use. Consider this simple example, the popular use of fingerprint unlocking of IT devices. Previously, we used passwords to unlock our desktops. Sometimes, these passwords were exposed by companies. Famously, causing all sorts of inconvenience.

Consider the possibility that your fingerprint algorithm be exposed as companies did with our passwords. What would the consequences be? Well, your fingerprint algorithm, used to recognise your fingerprint, can be also used to train an AI to reproduce your fingerprint. Kind of stealing your fingerprint! And changing it is much more painful than changing a password.

This might cause all sorts of inconvenience, that will be very hard to reverse.

The continued upward trend of post pandemic shut in syndrome Hikikomori numbers.

More and more people will become Hikikomori, a person who avoids social contact (wiki/Hikikomori), dependent users of IT services. As ‘post-covid-shut-ins’ we have been forced to increase IT usage in all areas of life. A trend that will continue. As we increase our on-line time, it will pay to consider the vulnerability of our society and to ourselves, due to our enforced IT addiction. And the risks we take as individuals. Both the risks to our bodies, our mental health, and our on-line avatars and

essential information. These risks will continue to grow. And our current solutions are not keeping pace with change. But This will also generate new needs for improved regulation and development of better solutions. Solutions that must be more robust in society, and protect our privacy, and secure us from outside malice; yet still be useful.

The increasing trend of AI usage - digital Artificial Intelligence in computers.

Artificial Intelligence will become more widely used. And we have seen, extremist forces have been early adopters of technology that can manipulate us en masse. AI will mean that these manipulations will continue to increase in intensity. But AI will also offer the potential to protect and recover from these assaults. In short, there is going to be a lot to do in the IT sector to support all the necessary changes that should be made by society, businesses, and individuals.

What environmental factors affect your industry the most right now?

• Education - IT awareness and knowledge in your business domain/sector
• IT competency
• Investment

What consequences will those factors have?

Our ability as a society to meet the challenges of this fast-changing world are reliant on: education, IT competency and investment.

We succeed or fail on our ability to:

• Have relevant and real education of real risks and how to overcome them.
• An increase in IT fluent users and creators.
• Finance these changes.

What advice would you give to a younger leader in your industry?

“- I know you have had to master many difficult things to become a young leader in IT. But I would ask you to consider one more thing, ethics is Not a Luxury, it’s Essential!“

Difficult choices must be made, even in IT. And those choices may have a direct and devastating impact on society and people. Understanding Ethics might help. Because you may be called to answer for the choices you make on behalf of others.

My advice; be kind!

And good luck!