IBM unveiled the Institute of Cognitive Systems

Last week, IBM opened the “era of cognitive computing” at a cognitive systems (CSC) colloquium held in New York. The company introduced the new Institute of Cognitive Systems, which was the result of the efforts of several universities, research institutes and IBM customers. First on the list are Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), New York University (NYU), and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

“As part of the new era of cognitive computing, we would like to announce the Institute of Cognitive Systems, which included four key universities,” said Jim Sporer, director of global programs at IBM Research, in an exclusive interview with EETimes.

The long history of IBM’s attempts to build a computer that can imitate human cognitive functions began with the Deep Blue platform, which beat the reigning chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. Most recently, the Watson cluster supercomputer defeated world champions Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings in the 2011 intellectual game Jeopardy.

“After Watson won at Jeopardy, many universities contacted us and said they would like to work together on a new era of cognitive computing. Today we are pleased to announce that we have successfully acted in this direction, ”Sporer said.

IBM already uses Watson's healthcare and financial services capabilities — a computer combines large search engine databases and intelligent algorithms to provide people with real-time advice. Now IBM seeks to generalize the capabilities of a cognitive computer with the joint efforts of academies, industrial and scientific centers, to develop cognitive computers that will use natural language and human-like thinking algorithms to improve the human mind in all areas of activity.

“Something big happens in a cognitive calculation. Much more than Watson. Much more than we do - that's why we are gathered. Much more than IBM, ”said John Kelly III, director of IBM Research. “The first era of computing was devoted to automating human tasks. This era is fundamentally different. This era will be devoted to scaling and increasing human capabilities. The separation between man and machine will be washed away. The synergy between these two concepts will spill out. "

IBM is already working with thousands of universities around the world, but the new Institute of Cognitive Systems will enlist the support of individual universities to develop specific systems that will be necessary to implement a user-friendly type of cognitive computer. Four universities will receive funding this year, funding will go to sponsor development and grants, and developers will be provided with powerful servers running on Watson open source software.

The MIT team, led by Professor Thomas Malone, will focus on the development of what are called sociotechnical tools and applications that will increase the productivity of groups of workers involved in collaborative tasks and decision making. By creating a close relationship between people and computers, MIT will strive for a human-machine system performance that will surpass any person or group of computers alone.

“As the world becomes increasingly interconnected through the use of communication technology, it can be useful to view all people and computers within a single global brain,” said Malone at CSC. “Perhaps our survival depends on a combination of human and machine intelligence, which can make the choice not only smart, but also wise.”

The RPI team, led by Prof. Selmer Bringsjord, will explore the techniques of an artificial intelligence technician who will use IBM's latest advances in computing power, data availability, and smart algorithms that include “semantic” data tools.

The CMU team, led by Professor Eric Nyberg, will focus on quickly creating, optimizing and adapting in real time a set of analytic components, such as personalized media, that interact directly with the user.

The NYU team led by Paul Horn, a senior vice prosecutor at New York University, will develop an automated recognition algorithm that will show how deeply learning using neural networks can affect science.

“We believe that these new cognitive systems will seriously accelerate progress. So far, we have used cognitive shovels, and new tools will be like cognitive bulldozers, allowing us to do much more from the point of view of decision support systems that increase human performance. And from the global point of view of the university, they will have far-reaching consequences in connection with our teaching methods. As the calculator changed the way of solving mathematical problems, so the cognitive computers transform higher education, ”Sporer said.

In addition to expanding Watson’s capabilities, several other cognitive initiatives also fall under the umbrella of the Institute for Cognitive Systems. For example, attempts by IBM to create computer chips in the image and likeness of the human brain - SyNAPSE, sponsored by the defense agency DARPA.

The article is based on materials https://hi-news.ru/computers/ibm-predstavila-institut-kognitivnyx-sistem.html.