In the dystopian future of 2026, managed security service providers (MSSPs) have embraced artificial intelligence to solve cybersecurity woes — or so they claim. With analysts vanishing like socks in a dryer, AI now juggles billions of alerts while keeping a straight face and a freshly brewed espresso in hand. It’s an era where human analysts find themselves with too much time and too few jobs.

Stunned clients line up for ‘CISO-level protection’ at prices that would make a bargain bin blush. As they clutch their wallets and dream of robust security at shoe-string budgets, AI bravely shoulders the burden. It’s a thrilling spectacle: algorithms orchestrate cyber symphonies, tackling digital villains with the elegance of a Roomba scattering dust bunnies.

Meanwhile, the few human analysts left watch this AI-driven world like veteran detectives contemplating early retirement. They marvel at the sight of machines doing the heavy lifting — with no complaints about overtime or a need for bathroom breaks. In this brave new world, the real MVPs are servers in air-conditioned rooms, keeping MSSP margins alive while making sure their human counterparts can catch the latest drama on streaming services.