While everyone might know of artificial intelligence services such as Siri, Google Now and the rumored upcoming Cortana service from Microsoft, it is possible that most have no idea who or what Watson is. For those unaware, Watson is an artificial intelligence system from IBM, and the company is now planning to allow software developers to create applications based on Watson - a forward-thinking move by IBM.
Speaking at the Mobile World Congress, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty said IBM is in the planning stages to host a mobile developer challenge that is aimed at having app developers create consumer and business apps powered by the artificial intelligence system, Watson. In just three months, IBM will choose three prototypes to receive consulting where design is concerned, and support to develop apps for a commercial purpose.
Back in 2011, IBM placed Watson on the Jeopardy TV show, and since then, the company has created what it calls a Watson division. IBM has also been throwing a lot of money at Watson in hopes of commercializing the project, and this ambition must have gotten a greater push when Apple launched Siri for its iOS devices. Now, the arrival of Google Now has increased the pressure.
At the moment, Watson is not yet commercialized, but that doesn't mean it is not being used outside of IBM. According to CNET, Watson is being used in health care, banking and retail industries. Oncologists in New York are using the artificial intelligence cloud system to treat and diagnose cancer patients.
"The more you put something out, the broader you make it, the less boundaries you put on it, the more open innovation you have -- the more things you wouldn't expect," said IBM employee, Jerry Cuomo. "I have a list of things I expect people to do with Watson, but by unleashing it to people in Brazil and Africa and China, as well as Silicon Valley, who knows what they'll come up with. That's the intrigue behind having a contest."
It would be interesting to see if IBM can coax app developers to create compelling apps using Watson's backend to challenge the likes of Siri and Google Now. In its current state, Watson should be smarter than the competition, since it has been around quite longer. However, when it comes to mobile, Siri and Google Now might already be ahead. Support from developers, however, would surely help bridge the gap.
