There is an extraordinary amount of data being generated around the world on a daily basis. The task of collecting relevant information, organizing it, and piecing it together in a way that tells a story seems like an overwhelming and nearly impossible task. Yet, this is the monumental task of intelligence analysts. Thankfully, incredible technological advancements, including machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), are assisting analysts in their efforts to collect and categorize massive amounts of data. Technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and analysts must always be learning how to apply machine-learning technology to help them better understand and solve complex problems.

There are two critical issues that will affect security over the next 20 years, artificial intelligence and bio-engineering (including nanotechnology). AI is defined as an algorithm capable of being trained to identify live data and create activity based on that data. AI also has the capability to educate itself and to mature based on associations to which it has been exposed. In short, it is code that writes itself. The Singularity is defined as that time in the future when the capabilities of humans and those of technology are equal.