APIs are crucial tools for today’s digital experiences. From Android
controlled rice-cookers to ecommerce through Pinterest, APIs are
valuable tools for technological innovation. And now that access to IBM
Watson’s cloud-based API is open to the public, things are about to get
even more interesting.
Otherwise known as an Application Programming Interface, APIs are the
code that allows one application to interact and integrate with another
service, software, or website. An everyday example would be the
Facebook or Twitter login authentication service used on many popular
websites.
The most incredible aspect of Watson and its newly unveiled API, is
its ability to adapt and alter processes as new data is introduced
(referred to as “machine learning”). Watson was initially applied in
healthcare settings for clinical diagnostic support.
Machine Learning in the App Store
ZDNet reporter Andrew Nusca stated that Watson “ingested more than
600,000 pieces of medical evidence, two million pages of text (from 42
medical journals and clinical trials) and 1.5 million patient records.”
As new data is introduced to Watson, the system essentially learns to
update its processes with new knowledge in mind.
For instance, IBM researchers fed the entirety of
UrbanDictionary.com, an online dictionary of slang terms, to expand
Watson’s vocabulary. Their experiment worked as planned. But Watson
began integrating foul language and slang into responses.
According to an IBM Researcher:
“Watson couldn’t distinguish between polite language and profanity – which the Urban Dictionary is full of. It picked up some bad habits from reading Wikipedia as well. In tests it even used the word ‘bullshit’ in an answer to a researcher’s query.”
Researchers then washed Watson’s mouth out with soap by scraping the dictionary data from its memory.
Cognitive computing, predictive analytics, natural language
processing and machine learning are now available to developers outside
of IBM. What was once only available to large corporations with
extensive technology investments, will soon be in the hands of everyday
consumers and businesses alike.
Mobile Supercomputers With Apps to Match
By introducing such capabilities for consumer and enterprise
applications, business users and every day people will have the power of
not just a computer in their pocket, but a super-computer with highly
cognitive functionality.
A recent report from Gartner even suggests that smartphones will become smarter than users by 2017:
“If there is heavy traffic, it will wake you up early for a meeting, or simply send an apology if it is a meeting with your colleague. The smartphone will gather contextual information from its calendar, its sensors, the user’s location and personal data.”
This initial phase for Watson is open to healthcare, retail, and
travel and transportation companies. While widespread use of Watson’s
APIs will take time to spread, there is much anticipation for what the
technology can potentially do.
As kinks are resolved and organizations become acclimated to the
service, such technology could assuredly find use within consumer facing
mobile apps, business applications, and websites.
Welcome to the Watson Ecosystem
IBM refers to the API service as “The Watson Ecosystem”, which is
made up of 40 different technologies. The publically available Watson
service offers three different web APIs for software developers.
One is for answering natural language search. The second allows
developers to input data and content to enhance Watson’s data
perspective. And the third option works to condition Watson regarding
specific areas of knowledge and expertise.
The Watson Ecosystem is available through a SaaS model that allows
for strategic access to the entire platform. Retail brand The North Face
is one of the early movers. The brand has implemented the Watson API
for an eCommerce shopping assistance service.
Shoppers can ask dynamic questions and receive equally comprehensive
answers. A parent can ask, “What should I bring for my trip to Yosemite
with my son and daughter?”, and receive tailored results for boy and
girl items as well as products for parents that are suited to the
specific park’s climate.
An Exciting Time for Software Development
As CEO of a software solutions and web development firm, I must admit
that I am anxious to see how Watson can contribute to the evolving tech
space. The potential for developers to harness such APIs could bring
about a tremendous boost of innovation and disruption in the already
booming software development field.
While some analysts comment on a potential bubble in the technology
and Internet market, Watson should serve as a sign that innovation is
increasing rather than dying off. Such tools will allow businesses
outside of major players such as FedEx, Google, and Walmart to have the
capability to use cognitive computing for consumer and enterprise
applications alike.
By: Himanshu Sareen
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