Smart Machines: IBM's Watson and the Era of Cognitive Computing

author: John E. Kelly

name: Wayne

average rating: 2.87

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2014/03/04

date added: 2014/03/04

shelves: non-fiction-computer

review:

Smart Machines: IBM's Watson and the Era of Cognitive Computing by John E. Kelly and Steve Hamm is a quick but fascinating read. It talks about where we are currently with the state of computing and how our needs are being quickly outstripped by technology that has served us well for many years. It talks about conceptual ideas for what computers could do for us in the near future. It purports that computers wouldn't become as cognitive as humans, but that new computing styles could work side by side to assist humans.



IBM's Watson is discussed. This is the computer that was featured on Jeopardy a few years ago playing, and winning, against Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings. The development of Watson as well as ideas for what it could possibly be used for are discussed. As well as how to change computer processors. We have miniaturized processing to the point where it is no longer effective. We are losing computing power instead of gaining it. We need to rethink computing and develop quantum computers. This is a concept thought of by physicist Richard Feynman and we are now on the verge of seeing it as a reality.



The whole book feels like a commercial for IBM, but there is a fair amount of innovation going on with IBM, so it's not completely invalid. And in such a short book, I'm not sure how wide you could go with other companies' innovations. I found it fascinating and exciting.



I was given a review copy of this book by Columbia University Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to read this interesting book.





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