Depending upon whom you ask, the nascent field of cognitive computing is either the most important trend in technology since programmable computers, a massively intrusive spying tool that can lay bare our deepest secrets, or perhaps simply a powerful approach for processing diverse data sets to deliver insights that humans can understand.
In reality, the truth is some combination of all of the above – although everyone admits it’s still quite early days to make the final call. It’s not at all surprising, therefore, that the market is also quite confused about what cognitive computing really is.
An approachable definition: “if you look at cognitive computing as an analog to the human brain, you need to analyze in context all types of data, from structured data in databases to unstructured data in text, images, voice, sensors,and video,” according to the newbook Cognitive Computing and Big Data Analytics by Judith Hurwitz, Marcia Kaufman, and Adrian Bowles. “These are machines that operate at a different level than traditional IT systems because they analyze and learn from this data.”
An early pioneer in this space is IBM, whose cognitive computing cause célèbre Watson famously trounced the world’s best players at Jeopardy! in 2011. Now, IBM is shifting Watson’s focus to healthcare (among other industries).
Read the entire article at http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbloomberg/2015/03/17/cognitive-computing-from-post-911-to-post-snowden/.
Intellyx advises companies on their digital transformation initiatives and helps vendors communicate their agility stories. As of the time of writing, none of the organizations mentioned in this article are Intellyx customers. Image credit: Jason Devaun.
