3 min read January 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, Timothy Humphrey, chief analytics officer, North Carolina senior state executive, and RTP senior location executive at IBM, talked about the advantages that the Research Triangle offers to the technology market. He also talked about the factors that make North Carolina attractive for business and how IBM is using quantum computing to approach future cyber threats.
What is the importance of the Research Triangle Park (RTP) for IBM’s local and global operations?
IBM opened here in 1965, as our predecessors saw the potential this region offers thanks to the presence of three major research institutions as well as many colleges, universities, and community colleges. We saw the existence of a sustained talent pipeline and the opportunity to partner with universities on research. As a result of that, this area has become the second-largest global site of IBM and our largest North American site. RTP is one of the few sites where every aspect of our business, from sales to marketing, infrastructure, procurement, consulting, and more are represented.
What characteristics of North Carolina have made people interested in relocating their businesses to this state?
The quality of life that the Research Triangle offers and the affordability of housing and similar things are advantages. We need to make sure that our housing prices do not increase to the point that people cannot afford to live and work here, which can lead to workforce problems and higher prices for goods and services. Nevertheless, for most people, especially those from the Northeast or West Coast, housing in this area is still reasonable and attractive.
Additionally, our economic development teams at the chambers of commerce have been working hard at attracting many different companies. Our success at that enables people to come here and find a place to work in the same industry without having to uproot their families. CNBC also recently rated us the No. 1 state to do business, which is in part due to our elected officials putting their differences aside to promote economic development.
Another factor is that both the beach and the mountains are a couple of hours away by car from the RTP. There is also not a lot of crime, the local food scene has improved a lot and there are performing arts and great sports teams, so there are many activities that people can do here.
What is your perspective on cybersecurity and the growing challenge that cyberthreats present?
The information that enterprises have about themselves and about people is a huge asset. It can help companies market better, create better offerings, and develop new services to build better relationships with customers. Nevertheless, that information can also be used to commit fraud or identity theft or it can be held for ransom. There are bad actors in the IT realm that are getting smarter and more resourceful. The capabilities that are being developed in IT can advance good but they can advance bad as well. Technological advancements have made it very profitable to be one of those bad actors. That problem is not going away, so I can only encourage everyone to stay current on the most advanced ways to protect information as it is the lifeline of companies.
We need to find ways to outsmart and get ahead of bad actors. This can mean using artificial intelligence (AI) analytics to monitor potential threats. Protecting data like we protect valuable resources is the approach that we must take. It is no longer just about designing a network infrastructure and making sure it meets the needs of the transactions. We also need to design it in a way that keeps people out of it, which is a daunting task that will rapidly change over time as technological advancements occur. Protecting that data is a need that will only grow in the future.
How is IBM working to help companies combat cyberthreats and improve their cybersecurity?
The bad actors are going to look for ways to use quantum computing to hack faster and get into more information. At IBM, we have introduced things like quantum computing to deal with this matter. We are working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop quantum-safe algorithms to ensure that the things we do today are safe from where quantum might be in the future. Some hackers might steal encrypted data and put it away until they have access to quantum computing tools that can crack it. We want to take today’s data and encrypt it with algorithms that would not be easily decrypted with quantum computing in the future.
Technology has become so embedded in everything we do that in the future it will no longer be acceptable for any person to not be a technologist. Technology skills need to become life skills. The more skills people have on how technology works and how to use it, the more people will be able to navigate bad outcomes. That will have to start with technology education at the K-12 level as well as in community colleges, universities, and in continuous education for adults of all ages. We are likely to still have bad outcomes but they will not be as bad. At IBM, we are dedicated to offering courses that help people gain skills around advanced technologies, such as AI, analytics, cybersecurity, automation, and more.
What is the best way for technology users and developers to approach new advancements, such as AI products?
In engineering, a black box is something whose input and output are understood but people don’t know how it is architected. Some new technologies, such as AI, are generally perceived as black boxes in that inputs are provided and outputs are created but people do not understand how. Nevertheless, once people start focusing on how these technologies work, it is possible to understand these tools and find ways to make them better. Once people stop viewing technology as a black box, they will understand where the potential for value is.
What is necessary for tech companies to develop products that reflect the diversity of their user base?
We need to make technology interesting and attractive to people of all backgrounds, starting at a young age so there is a bigger talent pool for companies to hire from. We need to make STEM visible to kids all over. I like to say “You can’t be what you can’t see” – we have to help our youth see the possibilities that STEM can provide. This is crucial not only for building the talent pool but for ensuring ethical technologies for the future. For example, the most important factor in ensuring ethical AI technologies is to have diverse teams developing them. This makes the input from humans much more diverse, which not only brings out the best in us but also helps avoid potentially unintended bad outcomes.
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