Mark Aklian is the Head of Security at Chiri.
In Michael Lewis’s Flash Boys, he chronicled the high-frequency trading boom of the 2010s, a world where milliseconds meant millions. I lived that world firsthand. My role was designing low-latency networks and precision-tuning Linux kernels to squeeze every microsecond out of hardware and software. The goal was simple: be first to market.
Back then, the edge came from speed. Firms spent billions on fiber routes, microwave towers, and specialized systems to win fractions of a second. Everyone underestimated the systemic risk. Flash crashes, runaway algorithms, and hidden dependencies exposed how fragile the system could be when velocity outpaced resilience. Regulators stepped in, but not before painful lessons.
Today, I see history repeating with AI.
👉 The Velocity of AI Adoption
Generative and Agentic AI are being deployed at breakneck speed. Copilots, plugins, and agents are moving from proof-of-concept to production in weeks. The pressure to adopt is immense; competitors are doing it, employees demand it, and investors expect it.
But the velocity of AI is outpacing our ability to secure it.
Just like HFT in the 2010s, we’re in an arms race. Only this time, instead of trading systems, it’s enterprise data, decision-making, and customer trust on the line.
👉 New Risks
• Expanding attack surfaces as AI is wired into every workflow.
• Delegated control where agents act autonomously with little oversight.
• Hidden dependencies in third-party models and supply chains.
• Lack of governance: many firms don’t know what data their AI tools consume.
The parallels to HFT are striking: speed first, risk later. And as in trading, the later you bolt on controls, the more costly it becomes.
In trading, microseconds mattered. In AI, the risks scale even faster.
👉 Ask yourself:
• Do you know where sensitive data is flowing into AI?
• Who validates output, and who’s accountable if it goes wrong?
• Have you implemented AI “circuit breakers”? (Governance, MCP, monitoring)
If not, you’re already behind in the AI security arms race.
Having lived through the speed wars in markets and now advising on AI security, one lesson stands out: RESILIENCE ALWAYS WINS.
The firms that thrived in HFT weren’t the ones chasing every nanosecond. They were the ones balancing speed with discipline, controls, and risk awareness.
The same will be true in AI. The winners will adopt securely, with governance that builds trust and protects their license to operate.
👉 Bottom Line:
⚾ We’re in the early innings of the AI security arms race. The temptation to move faster than competitors is real — but speed without security will cause the next flash crash.
📉 Just like markets learned in the 2010s, there’s no free lunch. The race to zero can’t come at the expense of resilience.
That’s why I am so excited to be with Chiri, where we weave security into what we do, while weaving AI into our clients’ cultures.
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