AI is everywhere. Whether you’re a cautious adopter or an AI enthusiast, there’s room at the table for everyone. The benefits are clear, automation can improve workflows, increase efficiency, and help teams eliminate repetitive, mundane tasks, freeing employees up to focus on higher-value work. At the same time, the concerns are just as valid. Security risks, privacy considerations, and fears about automation disrupting critical workflows all deserve real attention.
That’s why we’ve always taken a pragmatic approach to AI at NinjaOne. We experiment thoughtfully, prioritize areas where customer feedback points to real value, and rigorously test every solution before it reaches our customers.
To dig deeper into how we’re approaching AI innovation, and how we’re building with customer success, trust, and safety top of mind, we sat down with Joel Maupin, a Data Engineer on the NinjaOne AI team. Joel shares what excites him most about the current AI landscape, some of the biggest misconceptions he sees surrounding AI, and the lesson that has shaped his approach the most, great solutions start with a deep understanding of the people and problems they’re built for.
Let’s get to know Joel
Tell us about yourself. What do you do at NinjaOne?
Hey, I’m Joel! I’m a data engineer on the AI team, which means I spend most of my days at the intersection of “what if we taught computers to think?” and “okay but make it actually useful.” I came to NinjaOne with a BS and MS in Computer Science from the University of Oklahoma and a deep conviction that technology should make people’s lives simpler, not more complicated in different ways.
What excites you most about the future of AI in IT operations? The future of AI in general?
In IT operations specifically, it’s the idea that AI can move from being reactive to truly proactive. Not just alerting you that something broke, but predicting it, understanding why, and quietly fixing it before anyone’s pager goes off at 2 am. More broadly, I’m excited about AI freeing up more creative thought. Not replacing human judgment, but augmenting it so that people can focus on the problems that actually require a human in the loop.
What’s a common misconception people have about AI?
That it either knows everything or knows nothing. There’s rarely a middle ground in how people perceive it. In reality, AI is more like a very well-read intern. It’s impressively capable in many areas, occasionally confidently wrong, and absolutely requires someone with context and judgment to oversee the work. The magic isn’t in treating it like a magic box; it’s in knowing how to collaborate with it effectively.
When you’re thinking about building with AI at NinjaOne, what customer challenges are top of mind for you and your team?
IT teams are stretched thin. They’re managing more endpoints, more complexity, and more security surface area than ever, often with the same headcount they had five years ago. When we build, we’re always asking, does this actually give time back to an IT admin, or does it just create a new thing they have to babysit? The goal is always genuine leverage, not just automation theater.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned at NinjaOne so far?
That the best technical solutions are built by people who deeply understand the problem they’re solving. There’s a real temptation in AI/ML work to reach for the impressive-sounding techniques before you’ve fully understood what the customer actually needs. NinjaOne has deeply reinforced in me the notion that empathy for the end user is the most important thing.
What are you passionate about outside of your career?
Travel is a big one. There’s something about being completely disoriented in a new place that resets my brain in a positive way. Nothing else compares. I’m also a live music devotee; I’ll drive embarrassingly far to see a good show. And at home I love to spoil my two cats, Socks and Olafur. They are the fluffiest coworkers around!
What’s something your coworkers might be surprised to learn about you?
Despite working in technology throughout most of my career, I actually grew up on the fringes of farming and agriculture. Some of my fondest childhood memories are riding (and sometimes driving) tractors on school breaks to keep the fields ready for planting season. I love my career in technology, but that upbringing still gives me a real appreciation for the simpler things, like understanding where our food comes from, and what’s needed to bring agriculture to bear.
That’s all for this edition of Patch Notes: People Edition! The AI landscape is evolving rapidly, creating new opportunities for innovation every day. The same is true at NinjaOne. As demand for our unified IT operations platform grows, we’re always looking for talented people to help us build what’s next. Interested in joining the team? To learn more about life at NinjaOne and explore open roles, visit https://www.ninjaone.com/careers/.
