Elementary, my dear Watson
Watson has already won a major TV game show, is looking for a cure for cancer and has ambitious gastronomy ambitions, including devising a recipe for chocolate-beef burritos.
The IBM supercomputer is becoming a jack of all trades for the US tech giant, including in its new role as a business consultant and analyst for various industries using massive Internet databases.
Watson, which gained fame in 2011 for defeating human opponents on the Jeopardy quiz show, has been reaching into its computing power since then for an array of other services.
IBM has developed a Watson Engagement Adviser application to counsel members of the military and their families on how to smartly manage shifting to life after the service.
In the oil and gas sector, IBM has worked with the British tech group, Arria, to integrate Watson’s capabilities to help improve management of leaks in refineries.
“You can lose a billion dollars through leaks. It’s bad for revenues, it’s bad for the environment, it’s bad for the security,” said Robert Dale, Arria’s chief technical officer.
In healthcare, IBM in the past week expanded its partnerships in cancer research to 14 US treatment centres to help develop personalised care based on genetics.
IBM has worked with health insurers to use big data to improve patient care and has joined with Johnson & Johnson and the medical device maker Medtronic to monitor patients with diabetes and to manage postoperative treatments.
Watson is also in banking, working with financial firms to help advisors compare investment offerings.
“The applicability of the technology is unlimited, anywhere where large amounts of information exist, the technology can be applied,” said Mike Rhodin, senior vice-president of IBM’s Watson division.
He was speaking at a New York event to encourage new applications for the supercomputer. IBM recognises so much potential in Watson it announced plans last year to invest $1 billion in the division, and nearly 20 business sectors have joined the effort.
Watson has teamed with Elemental Path, maker of “smart toys”, such as a dinosaur that can tell stories and answer questions from children. “It has the brain of Watson, the spirit of a dinosaur and efficient answers,” said JP Benini, co-founder of Elemental Path.
Watson is also getting considerable attention in the kitchen. It uses data analytics to blend flavours and come up with new combinations.
James Briscione of the Institute of Culinary Education said “Chef Watson” uses a flavour-pairing theory based on chemical compounds that produced a bacon-mushroom dessert served at the New York event. For the culinary minded, Watson allows chefs to indicate a particular dish, such as a salad or burrito, and offers new suggestions, like the chocolate-beef burrito recipe it has crafted. –