Superbrain Watson looking for work

English Lessons; Jeopardy-winning computer aimed at Holy Grail of AI

 

By JASON MAGDER, The Gazette April 8, 2011

 

 

First came Jeopardy. The next step may be Star Trek.
One of the designers of IBM's Watson super-computer said the goal for the next version of the machine is to seamlessly understand human language and answer questions, like the ever-present computer that responds to the commands of Captains Kirk and Picard on the Star Trek television series.
"That's the holy grail of AI (Artificial Intelligence)," said Aditya Kalyanpur, a researcher at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Institute.
Kalyanpur, one of the engineers who designed Watson's brain, said the computer has achieved a remarkable breakthrough in the ability to answer questions phrased in complex English. It paves the way for a computer that would understand all human phrases and produce answers to any question, by sifting through huge stores of data.
Watson was designed to play Jeopardy - as a way to showcase advanced language analytical technology and problem solving. In February, the computer faced off against two of the greatest Jeopardy champions in the show's history and won cleanly. But it was a lot of work to get to that point. Kalyanpur said the first version of the computer took two hours to produce just one answer. During the quiz show, the average response time was three seconds.
"People have been really amazed," said Kalyanpur, who spoke Thursday at the Palais des congrès as part of the Crystal Ball conference on IT, organized by the Centre de recherche informatique de Montréal. "Jeopardy was actually a really good demo of this technology. It was a way to engage the average person so they can understand what the challenges are with language recognition."
He said the computer's greatest achievement was to be able to analyze human wordplay, and figure out what was being asked in the tricky wordplay used in the show. The computer then had to determine how sure it was of its answer, so that if it was not so confident, it would not buzz in and risk answering wrong and losing money.
Now that the Jeopardy experiment was a success, Watson is looking for work, Kalyanpur said. The supercomputer has been touted as a tool to help doctors make accurate diagnoses.
"We're looking at a host of different application areas," Kalyanpur said. "Health care is one big one, but also enterprise intelligence, government, legal and tech support. Any domain where there is a lot of information that is unstructured, and you want to make sense of that information.
"We're still working out the mode of deployment. We're working on making a miniaturized version of Watson. Something else that might work out is a cloud model. Where all the hardware is in the cloud, and the user just has access to the question answering and the text analytic capability."
jmagder@ montrealgazette.com

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Superbrain+Watson+looking+work/4579446/story.html#ixzz1J79t5bvC

LexisNexis Unveils Next Generation of IP Research Technology with New Semantic Search “Brain”

NEW YORK - LexisNexis, a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions, announced in a press release the debut of an innovative new semantic search “brain” for its full complement of intellectual property (IP) research products.
The next-generation semantic search technology identifies the meaning of multiple concepts within a single search query to help users zero in on core concepts faster and make fewer revisions to their search queries.
The technology will power the patent research and retrieval service LexisNexis® TotalPatent™, the automated patent application and analysis product LexisNexis® PatentOptimizer™, and IP research across patent and non-patent literature conducted on the flagship lexis.com® online legal research service.
Semantic search uses the science of meaning in language (“semantics”) to produce highly relevant search results. LexisNexis launched its semantic search technology 18 months ago, significantly enhancing the search process for patent researchers through technology that delivers results based on an analysis of the meaning of the language used in search queries – not just the words themselves.
The new semantic search technology takes this science to the next level by enhancing its ability to identify multiple concepts contained within a single search query. Thus, if a patent researcher asks the LexisNexis search engine to find information about a complex subject, the new semantic brain will actually identify various possible ideas contained in that request and return related concepts for each idea in their query. The researcher can then review the concepts suggested, assign relative importance by weighting them, eliminate concepts that aren’t related, and even add more concepts they think might be useful to the search project.
“We believe that the most important brain in the patent research process is the researcher’s own brain,” said Steven Errick, vice president of Research Information at LexisNexis. “When the user experience is combined with the semantic search capability, it becomes a powerful tool that can deliver the most precise and relevant patent search results available in the industry.”
LexisNexis also introduced a series of enhancements to its award-winning TotalPatent service. The most notable addition is a new “Visualize & Compare” tool that allows users to compare and analyze any two or three result sets or lists of patents, regardless of the underlying search mechanism, for example a comparison between a Boolean search result and a semantic search result.
The new comparison capability not only highlights documents that were uniquely surfaced in one query or list versus another, but also serves as an important tool to assist researchers in analyzing and improving their overall search strategy and queries to find the most precise documents. The comparison tool will also give patent researchers greater confidence that they have executed the most comprehensive search possible, thereby lowering the risk of missing crucial documents.

Health Advice by Dr. Weiss: Artificial intelligence in medicine

“Nothing endures but change,” said a Greek philosopher, and healthcare is changing rapidly in so many ways as we better utilize technology.
The next major frontier may well be the manner in which patients share information with their physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.
Picture yourself as a patient sharing the details of a recent illness with a computer, which listens patiently and responds in perfect English (or whatever language you are most comfortable with) by asking pertinent questions. As you give your history, the computer weighs the odds of possible diagnoses along with appropriate therapies.
This scenario used to sound like science fiction, but is now being developed by IBM’s Watson computer. Watson made a huge public splash recently when it—I don’t know whether to say “it” or “he” or “she”—impressively played Jeopardy! against the best human players in the game show’s history. Watson was not connected to the Internet but was able to understand English, deal with most of the nuances of our language, quickly search through enormous databases, and answer in the appropriate manner.
The real utility of Watson is not its ability to win at TV game shows, but rather the fact that Watson can change the way we practice medicine. Here’s why:
• Watson possesses strong communication skills;
• It combines that with the ability to search immense databases almost instantly;
• And then logically comes up with correct solutions to problems.
Imagine patient Jones or physician Smith speaking with Watson about a clinical situation.
All the already-digitized forms of information about Ms. Jones—such as laboratory results, vital signs and past medical history—would be readily available and easily inputted.
Dr. Smith or a mid-level provider could add the results of a current physical exam, and Watson would begin to calculate the probabilities of having a specific disease.
Cornerstone of Care
Watson would have the luxury in this situation of asking additional questions, suggesting other tests be completed, perhaps recommending a therapeutic trail, or just observing. The physician would remain the cornerstone of care. But now he would have a powerful ally.
Today, a physician does exactly what Watson will be doing. But the physician depends on his/her memory and knowledge base which is a small fraction of what Watson utilizes. And once Watson is functional for one patient, the cost of diagnosing and caring for additional patients is minimal.
Dr. Herbert Chase at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University (my alma mater) has welcomed Watson to campus. Winning Jeopardy! is entertaining, but changing medicine is serious business. As the complexity of healthcare has grown along with the costs which need to be managed, Watson—or son of Watson—may be the solution.
Think back to other revolutionary solutions such as the invention of gunpowder, Gutenberg’s printing press, the airplane, the Internet, and how each one changed civilization. We are now in the middle of a healthcare computer revolution which will have a more profound effect on healthcare reform than the current acrimonious national debate about “Accountable Care.”
Computer technology and the Internet have changed the way so many things function. Consider just a few venues:
• Political revolutions: Egypt’s dramatic change was fueled by Facebook and Twitter.
• Dating: Online matchmaking spawned one in eight marriages last year.
• Higher education: The University of Phoenix, online, has by far the largest number of MBA students in the country.
• Financial services: Instant updates and rapid communication with ubiquitous email.
And then we come to healthcare.
• There are many disease-centered websites where patients can log in as themselves (or anonymously with a pseudonym) to share experiences, provide support, keep up on the latest treatments, and most importantly, be active participants in their care.
• The old paternalistic model of care where “Father Knows Best” has been turned upside down as patients aggregate knowledge on sites such as “Patients Like Me”— http://www.patientslikeme.com/ —where you can search for patients with the same disease or symptom complex, get answers to questions, and help others.
Watson could help a patient in the privacy of his or her own home, changing that person from a passive to an active participant. That’s a game changer. Think about the disparity of care for those who are insured vs. those who are uninsured and impoverished. Once Watson is up and running, each additional patient cared for means only a small additional cost.
Collaborative Healthcare
The Internet is global and seamless when it comes to boundaries. Watson will surely understand all the world’s languages; many are already in the voice recognition vocabulary of existing software which has been used for medical transcription for more than a decade.
In fact, I was using voice recognition in my medical office successfully from 1998 to 2000 when I left my solo office practice to work with the NCH Healthcare System. Back in that “last century” (a little more than a decade ago!), new patients could leave my office with a copy of their consultation note in hand. It had been created with the patient watching me dictate their history, physical, my impressions and the therapeutic plan into the medical record while using a microphone and a commercially available computer.
The internet will also encourage collaborative healthcare. For example, patient-produced content would be shared much the same way that Wikipedia shares content generated by contributors.
This shift—from a small group having knowledge to shared, participatory involvement—parallels the change from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance (which was catalyzed by Gutenberg’s press). We now have the equivalent, namely the Internet. Add Watson as the interface and health care can be changed in profound ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago. And to be frank, some of these changes will be unwelcome by those whose previous positions of power and importance are being undermined.
Nonetheless, when huge population studies can be done quickly, and vast data troves can be aggregated and shared, the entire global community will better understand illness and disease. The whole idea of evidence-based medicine will mature much faster as everyone shares medical experiences.
Privacy and confidentiality issues will always be valid concerns, but there are good working models in the banking and financial industry of how to safeguard privacy.
Finally, will everyone have a personal home health page started at birth (or conception) to carry with them throughout their lives? This is an interesting concept, and the technology backbone for it is already in place.
Having your medical information in one place will empower you to watch your weight over decades, monitor your cholesterol as you modify your eating habits, predict when you will have problems and make changes in the 70% of your habits which cause illness and which you can control. Today you can go to a site called Real Age, take a short quiz about your past health, and see how your chronologic age compares to your physiological age. http://www.realage.com/landing/entry4?cbr=MSNSRCH025
I believe that technology, the internet, and Watson will change the face of healthcare forever. We will probably resist change for a while, because that’s typical of human nature. But when you consider the enormous rate of change of just the last two decades, I think you’ll have an idea of how quickly we can evolve.
“Dr. Watson” was Sherlock Holmes’ companion and narrator. Now Watson takes on a new role.
Allen S. Weiss, M.D., President and CEO, NCH Healthcare System
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Putting the "Smart" In Smartphone: Iphone 5 Might Include AI

A very interesting rumor about the iPhone 5 has been going around. It involves a little AI called Siri.  The news, first circulated by TechCrunch, involves Apple's purchase last year of the artificial intelligence, which takes the form of a virtual personal assistant. Either they've been sitting on the technology since its acquisition, or they were simply waiting for the right moment to announce how they plan to put it to use.

Knowing Apple, it's probably the latter. 

"You’re busy. Between meetings, social events, and hopefully a workout or two, your schedule’s packed. Don’t you wish you could hand off simple tasks so you could have more time to play? That’s why we built Siri. Because we believe everyone could use an assistant. Because we believe there’s a simpler way to get things done. Just like a real assistant, Siri understands what you say, accomplishes tasks for you and adapts to your preferences over time." (Siri.com).

Siri, originally developed as an iPhone app, was the first product created by a company of the same name; one which focuses exclusively on artificial intelligence. In April 2010, Siri evidently caught Apple's eye, and they purchased the product off of the company for their own use. The original app was pretty much what was written on the box- a virtual assistant that helped you figure out what movies to watch, suggested restaurants, found available taxi services, et-cetera.

How it worked was that it connected to Siri's servers on the web, which included a wide array of information services such as Taximagic and Rotten Tomatoes. What's more, Siri's designers promise that "right now, Siri’s learning how to handle reminders, flights stats and reference questions. Our vision is that, over time, you’ll trust Siri to manage many personal details in your life - from recommending a wine you might enjoy to managing your to do list."

Talk To Your Phone

It seems pretty clear what all this means when you put everything together. Though things aren't quite set in stone yet, Apple's evidently looking to completely integrate Siri into the iPhone 5. This innovation takes mobile communication to a whole new level- If Siri evolves along the lines that its creators have planned for it, it'll be more than just an information service, or a passive virtual assistant- it'll be a full blown entity. Your phone will be able to independently manage your schedule, organize your to do list, and remind you of important appointments, all the while responding to your questions and concerns much as a human secretary might. 

Very cool indeed- I'm quite interested in seeing how this will turn out.  We'll find out more at the Apple Worldwide Developer's Conference, scheduled for June 6-10 in San Francisco.Until then, we'll just have to be patient. 

Its all in the name, iRobot!!

iRobot Corp. designs robots that perform dull, dirty or dangerous missions in a better way. The company’s proprietary technology, iRobot AWARE, Robot Intelligence Systems, incorporates advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence. This proprietary system enables iRobot to build behavior-based robots, including its family of consumer and military robots.

Could AI be used to launch and guide rockets?

Could artificial intelligence help rockets launch themselves? With greater automation, rockets would be capable of self-checking for problems, self-diagnosing, and hopefully, fixing minor pre or post launch issues.

"So far, rockets are merely automatic. They are not artificially intelligent," said Yasuhiro Morita, a professor at Institute of Space and Astronautical Science at JAXA, Japan's aerospace organisation.

However, according to Morita, the Epsilon launch vehicle - tentatively scheduled for a 2013 launch - is slated to include a whole new level of automation.

Currently, modern rockets have some elements of automation, for example, sensors can alert engineers of malfunctions but can't do much to alert them what type of problem it is or what type of solution is needed.

But in the future?

"The AI will diagnose the condition of the rocket, but it is more than that," Morita said. Should there be an issue, "the AI system will determine the cause of a malfunction," and potentially fix the problem itself.

CBA develops system to combat money laundering and terrorism financing

Yerevan hosted an event dedicated to introduction of an Automated Management System of the Center of Financial Monitoring at the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA).

 

“CBA attaches importance to comprehensive management, safe maintenance and efficient analysis of information related to money laundering and terrorism financing,” CBA Chairman Arthur Javadyan said during the event.

He expressed gratitude to the U.S. authorities for the technical aid to introduce the system and expressed hope that the cooperation between the CBA and U.S. embassy will be continued through implementation of other programs on development of the system on struggle against money laundering and terrorism financing.
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch said for her part that the Automated Management System is an important project for tackling money laundering and terrorism financing. The most efficient method of the struggle against money laundering is to deprive criminals of the opportunity to manage their incomes, she said.

Representatives of the Office of RA Prosecutor General, MFA, Police, National Security Service, Union of Armenian Banks and AI Partnership organization also participated in the event.