Editor’s Note: This column from Scott Goldfine, which focuses on Pierre Racz of Genetec and his thought leadership, appears in our Jan./Feb. print issue.
Shortly after I entered the security industry in 1998, it became apparent to me that Genetec, which had been launched just one year prior, was one of the most innovative up-and-coming manufacturers. I soon learned the person behind that vision was founder and CEO Pierre Racz.
Aside from one of us going on to build a multinational market leader that annually generates nearly a half-billion dollars, we have had somewhat parallel careers (ha!).
Pierre Racz of Genetec: Innovative and Outspoken
All kidding aside, Racz is one of the most innovative and outspoken company leaders — someone whom I have had the pleasure of getting to know a bit and whom I respect a lot.
In addition to seeing him at dozens of events and conferences, I was, on multiple occasions, among guests invited to spend time in and around Genetec’s Montreal headquarters (typically in the dead of winter!).
Being a reporter for SSI, as I was then, and especially before social media took hold, I found that covering this industry was like covering politics or sports. What I mean is, most comments were predictable and maintained the status quo. Few wanted to rock the boat or had the guts to say something controversial. (This is reflective of security’s tactical bent.)
In that respect, Racz was like a breath of fresh air: a free thinker unafraid to speak his mind.
Although what he conveyed tended to raise eyebrows and sometimes amuse, his perspectives were never less than thought-provoking and largely proved prescient. I have no doubt that, if one combed through all his remarks captured by the trade media during the past couple of decades, it would make for an astute and entertaining read.
Many of his musings manifested themselves in our industry, with Genetec spearheading the progression of the video surveillance software market. The progression went from open architecture, to networked solutions, to interconnected federated systems, to management platforms enhancing situational awareness, to integrated access control, to cloud-based SaaS.
Racz was also well ahead of the curve when it came to the symbiotic relationship between physical and logical security, emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity to “secure the security.” As those trends emerged, most in the channel were slow, reluctant adopters.
When Hype Supersedes Sense
Perhaps even more importantly, Racz has been among the first to raise his hand when hype has superseded sense regarding emerging technologies. Although being progressive can be a virtue, discretion — particularly in a business where life, limb and assets are at stake — can indeed be the better part of valor.
Take artificial intelligence, for instance. Our industry has arguably never seen a new technology as heavily promoted, yet as poorly understood as, AI. It is complex and fast unfolding. Here again, Racz is pumping the brakes on puffery.
At the recent Securing New Ground conference, the industry’s primary gathering of thought leaders, Racz derided AI from the stage during a one-on-one interview.
“You know what AI stands for, as far as I am concerned?” he asked rhetorically. “Absolute ignorance.” He continued, “AI is very stupid. It can only gather information from programming and what it is exposed to, often leading to erroneous conclusions. The internet, for example, as far as verifiable information and reliable data goes, is an open sewer.”
“I much prefer what I call IA, which stands for intelligent automation,” Racz said. “Machine learning is fine, but the real opportunity before us is using these capabilities to augment, rather than replace, humans.”
One Among Many Tools
I look at AI in a similar manner: It is merely one among many tools that, when sensibly deployed, can enhance efficiencies and/or effectiveness. At least for now, it is not a silver bullet. When placed in any monitoring provider’s hands, it will not, for example, eliminate false alarms.
In fact, if not properly calibrated and supported with other technologies, practices and expertise, AI can increase false alerts! Here’s a little secret: One of the ways you can tell a monitoring center’s efficiency and effectiveness is by how few operators are necessary during peak hours.
I believe that, ultimately, AI (or whatever you want to call it) will be transformative to most industries, including security. However, when it comes to any new security technology, product, service or business model, the trick is to be a well-informed, healthy skeptic with an expeditious vetting process.
And, yes, you may want to ask Racz what he thinks.