Smart Machines
IBM’s Watson and the Era of Cognitive Computing John E. Kelly III and Steve Hamm How wi l l com p ute r s s h a pe bu si n ess , the e conom y, and o u r li v es i n t h e fu t u r e ?
We are crossing 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 describe this technology inside and out and illuminate the difficulty of harnessing and understanding “big data,” one of the major computing challenges facing technicians in the coming decades. Their book will inspire governments, academics, and the global tech industry to work together to power this exciting wave in innovation. John E. Kelly III
is senior vice president
and director of IBM Research and helps guide IBM’s overall technical strategy.
“IBM's Watson is one of the most important technological breakthroughs in decades, and this is the go-to book for understanding what this new technology is all about and how it will change your life.” —Tyler Cowen, author of Average Is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of the Great Stagnation
“This provides an understanding of the immense possibilities offered by the intelligent collaboration of man and machine; readers can then tackle the difficult yet essential task of ensuring these new cognitive technologies will, in practice, be devoted to bettering our lives.” —Ralph Gomory, Stern School of Business
Steve Hamm
is a writer for IBM. Formerly
a senior writer at BusinessWeek magazine,
$22.95t / £15.95 cloth 978-0-231-16856-4 $21.99 / £15.00 ebook 978-0-231-53727-8
he is the author of Bangalore Tiger and
Ava i l a b l e N o w 160 pages
The Race for Perfect.
B u s i n e ss / t e c h n o lo g y Co lu m b i a B u s i n e ss S c h o o l P u b l i s h i n g
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