RiskUKNovember2017

ASIS 2017: From Artificial Intelligence
and Robotics to Perspectives on Risk
ASIS International –
the world’s largest
association for
security management
professionals –
recently delivered its
63rd Annual Seminar
and Exhibition
(otherwise known as
ASIS 2017) in Dallas,
Texas. Produced in
partnership with
InfraGard and the
ISSA, the four-day
programme between
23-28 September
attracted 22,000
registrants from 96
countries and drew
rave reviews from
attendees, exhibitors
and industry partners
alike. Tom Langer and
Mike Hurst review the
event for the readers
of Risk UK
Tom Langer CPP:
President of ASIS International
and Vice-President of Security
for BAE Systems
58
www.risk-uk.com
There was an unmistakable ‘buzz’ in Dallas.
Despite several natural disasters around
the globe in the weeks leading up to the
show, security professionals attended in their
droves to exchange ideas, discuss Best Practice
and experience first-hand the new products and
services on the market.
Key themes included the importance of a
global community of peers for support,
understanding the risks and opportunities
inherent with the technologies that are
reshaping our personal and professional lives
and, most importantly, the necessity for
security professionals to become empowered
leaders in the security space.
Keynote speakers set the tone for each day.
On the Monday morning of the show, the 43rd
US President George W Bush sat down with
ASIS International’s CEO Peter O’Neil for a
conversation about leadership and lessons
learned in the White House. In his remarks,
Bush outlined what he believes to be the key
characteristics of an effective leader, stating:
“Leadership means trying to understand what
someone else is saying. Leadership means
sharing the credit and taking the heat when
things go bad. Leadership means building a
culture not around a person, but around a
concept greater than a person.”
During the luncheon interval, entrepreneur
and the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks owner Mark
Cuban shared advice with attendees, noting
that “the only constant is change”. Cuban said
that he spends about two or three hours each
day learning new ideas and concepts. “Now,”
he ventured, “it’s all about Artificial
Intelligence, accessing Amazon Web Services
and teaching myself how to create machine
learning algorithms or educating myself about
neural networks and deep learning.”
This commitment to lifelong learning rings
true for us as security professionals. As threats
evolve rapidly, it’s critical for us all to stay
informed of the risks and opportunities in
today’s rapidly changing business environment.
Cuban went on to discuss the rise of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. He
voiced concern regarding the security risks if
the US lags in these competencies. “If the
Chinese win the robotics race… If the Chinese
win the AI race... If the Russians win the AI
race… and both the Russians and the Chinese
have said this is a top priority. Vladimir Putin
has suggested that whomever controls AI is the
dominant country. That’s scary.”
As far as Cuban’s concerned, robotics and AI
need to become a core competency in the
United States or “we will find ourselves on the
outside looking in”.
Perspectives on risk
On the Tuesday of the show, futurist Scott
Klososky outlined his perspectives on the risks
– as well as the potential – posed by the
various technologies that are reshaping society
and the way in which we do business. He noted
that we often integrate technology into our
lives without fully understanding the
consequences and, while many innovations
bring benefits, they also present opportunities
for criminals, bad political actors and those
looking to inflict harm. “It’s probably time for
us to become a little wiser,” urged Klososky.
The Global Responses to Global Threats
panel discussion, which included input from the
City of London Police’s Detective Chief
Superintendent Paul Barnard, focused on
private-public sector collaboration designed to
combat the growing terrorist threat. Key points
included not only the need for a plan, but also
the requirement to practice that plan.
Collaboration is also essential. You cannot
build a trusting relationship during a crisis.
Strong working relationships need to be built
between private-public sector colleagues
before an event happens.
Military aviation pioneer and F-14 Tomcat
pilot Carey Lohrenz closed out the week with a
call for fearless leadership. Lohrenz described
the primacy of identifying the most important
work you should be doing: work that requires
purpose, focus and discipline.
Lohrenz observed: “If you lose sight of the
most important work you should be doing,
you’re then guaranteed to lose the fight.”
Lohrenz also encouraged attendees to accept
failure, see it as an opportunity to grow and
look to “banish your limiting beliefs”.
The formal education programme featured
more than 180 sessions spanning the security
spectrum. New for this year, the first day of the
programme was dedicated solely to education,
with a focus on immersive and interactive
learning formats for attendees at all experience