Smart Machines

IBM's Watson and the Era of Cognitive Computing

by John E. Kelly, Steve Hamm

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.

Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org

*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

Pub Date Oct 15 2013 | Archive Date Jan 15 2014

Columbia University Press | Columbia Business School Publishing

Computers & Internet

Description

We are entering a new frontier in the evolution of computing: the era of cognitive systems. The victory of IBM's Watson on the television quiz show Jeopardy! signaled the advent of this new era, revealing how scientists and engineers at IBM and elsewhere are pushing the boundaries of science and technology to create machines that sense, learn, reason, and interact with people in new ways.

In Smart Machines, John E. Kelly III, director of IBM Research, and Steve Hamm, a writer at IBM and a former business and technology journalist, introduce the fascinating world of "cognitive systems" to general audiences and provide a window into the future of computing. Cognitive systems promise to penetrate complexity and assist people and organizations in better decision making. They can help doctors better diagnose and treat patients, augment the ways we see, anticipate major weather events, and contribute to smarter urban planning. Kelly and Hamm's comprehensive perspective describes this technology inside and out, and their extensive knowledge illuminates the difficulty of harnessing and understanding "big data," one of the major computing challenges facing technicians in the coming decades. Absorbing and impassioned, their book will inspire governments, academics, and the global tech industry to work together to power this exciting wave in innovation.

We are entering a new frontier in the evolution of computing: the era of cognitive systems. The victory of IBM's Watson on the television quiz show Jeopardy! signaled the advent of this new era...

Advance Praise

"If you think the tidal wave of digital disruption is over, think again. Kelly and Hamm pull back the curtain on the next great wave of the computing revolution, which will transform how every industry and business operates in the near future."

—David Rogers, author of The Network Is Your Customer: 5 Strategies to Thrive in a Digital Age

"As Watson’s win against Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings showed, IBM's research labs are doing some of the world’s most revolutionary research in artificial intelligence and related fields. In this short and very accessible book, the authors outline this work and the wave of “cognitive computing” that is about the break."

—James Hendler, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

"This book will give the careful reader an understanding of the immense possibilities offered by the intelligent collaboration of man and machine; armed with this knowledge, readers can then tackle the difficult but essential task of ensuring that these new cognitive technologies will, in practice, be devoted to bettering our lives."

—Ralph Gomory, Research Professor, Stern School of Business, NYU

"Technological change, from new materials to smart systems, is accelerating, and the latest advances fuel others. Kelly and Hamm show how these technologies will transform our jobs, our cities-even how we think"

—Stephen Baker, author of Final Jeopardy: Man vs. Machine and the Quest to Know Everything

"If you think the tidal wave of digital disruption is over, think again. Kelly and Hamm pull back the curtain on the next great wave of the computing revolution, which will transform how every...

Marketing Plan

John E. Kelly III is senior vice president and director of IBM Research, one of the world’s largest commercial research organizations, with more than 3,000 scientists and technical employees operating in twelve laboratories in ten countries. He also helps guide IBM’s overall technical strategy. Kelly’s top priorities as head of IBM Research are to stimulate innovation in key areas of information technology and quickly bring those innovations into the marketplace. Kelly received a BS in physics from Union College and a MS in physics from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and earned his doctorate in materials engineering from RPI.

Steve Hamm is a writer and videographer for IBM after working in business and technology journalism. Most recently, he was a senior writer at BusinessWeek magazine. He is the author of two books, Bangalore Tiger: How Indian Tech Upstart Wipro Is Rewriting the Rules of Global Competition and The Race for Perfect: Inside the Quest to Design the Ultimate Portable Computer, and holds a BA in English and creative writing from Carnegie Mellon University.

John E. Kelly III is senior vice president and director of IBM Research, one of the world’s largest commercial research organizations, with more than 3,000 scientists and technical employees...