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"Watson" made more sense to me when I realized it was just a branding term for any AI-related product, API, or service offered by IBM, which vary widely in func

"Watson" made more sense to me when I realized it was just a branding term for any AI-related product, API, or service offered by IBM, which vary widely in functionality. That fact is not that hidden [1], but their marketing doesn't exactly emphasize it. If you view it that way, "Watson" should just be compared against any other similarly broad AI-as-a-service offering with strengths and weaknesses, not treated as some integrated Intelligence that will solve all your problems. [1] E.g. they're pretty open about renaming existing things to fit under the Watson brand: https://www.ibm.com/blogs/bluemix/2016/10/predictive-analytics-renamed-watson-machine-learning-service/ https://www.ibm.com/blogs/bluemix/2016/10/predictive-analyti...

blazespin 9y ago
It might be more honest if they said "IBM Data AI Division."
- tomjakubowski 9y ago
  "IBM DAD"? :) More seriously, do you think Microsoft would have been more honest if they'd called Windows "Microsoft Graphical Multitasking Operating System"? Or if BMW had gone with "BMW Better Performance And A Cooler Badge But It'll Cost You" instead of "BMW M"? Brand names exist for a reason.
  - RRWagner 9y ago
    Why not just call it "Watson Systems"?
    - komali2 9y ago
      Stop, I'm getting fucking flashbacks to our early product design meetings.
      - moccachino 9y ago
        You have more interesting meetings than I have..
    - chongli 9y ago
      Because IBM markets to CEOs, not IT staff. They want their customers excitedly talking about Jeopardy-winning, superhuman AI at the dinner table. Technical people won't do that.
- dotancohen 9y ago
  How about: With All The Shit On Nails Hmm, I'm having a hard time figuring out the N. Ideas?
  - semi-extrinsic 9y ago
    "With All The Shit One Needs"?
jacinabox 9y ago
Anyone with a passing familiarity for Watson does view it that way.
- LoSboccacc 9y ago
  Eh this is more of a recent development. Originally it was the natural language processing and knowledge extraction engine. That is a hard sell because requires a truckload of configuration and internal expertise to get a working product out of it, and it ever only solves only some very narrow ranges of solutions. In typical IBM style, since they can't have a multimillion research division going in red as that would get a bunch of management in trouble, they moved more and more product under the watson name to pad up the division growth and sales numbers. That's the point where it is now after hoarding anything internal with value. You can see more or less the same with their cloud offer.
- SamBam 9y ago
  They may understand it in theory, but I wonder how many middle-managers still have a gut-feeling that they're hiring that "super-smart AI guy who won Jeopardy" to work for them?

blazespin 9y ago

It might be more honest if they said "IBM Data AI Division."

tomjakubowski 9y ago
"IBM DAD"? :) More seriously, do you think Microsoft would have been more honest if they'd called Windows "Microsoft Graphical Multitasking Operating System"? Or if BMW had gone with "BMW Better Performance And A Cooler Badge But It'll Cost You" instead of "BMW M"? Brand names exist for a reason.
- RRWagner 9y ago
  Why not just call it "Watson Systems"?
  - komali2 9y ago
    Stop, I'm getting fucking flashbacks to our early product design meetings.
    - moccachino 9y ago
      You have more interesting meetings than I have..
  - chongli 9y ago
    Because IBM markets to CEOs, not IT staff. They want their customers excitedly talking about Jeopardy-winning, superhuman AI at the dinner table. Technical people won't do that.
dotancohen 9y ago
How about: With All The Shit On Nails Hmm, I'm having a hard time figuring out the N. Ideas?
- semi-extrinsic 9y ago
  "With All The Shit One Needs"?

jacinabox 9y ago

Anyone with a passing familiarity for Watson does view it that way.

LoSboccacc 9y ago
Eh this is more of a recent development. Originally it was the natural language processing and knowledge extraction engine. That is a hard sell because requires a truckload of configuration and internal expertise to get a working product out of it, and it ever only solves only some very narrow ranges of solutions. In typical IBM style, since they can't have a multimillion research division going in red as that would get a bunch of management in trouble, they moved more and more product under the watson name to pad up the division growth and sales numbers. That's the point where it is now after hoarding anything internal with value. You can see more or less the same with their cloud offer.
SamBam 9y ago
They may understand it in theory, but I wonder how many middle-managers still have a gut-feeling that they're hiring that "super-smart AI guy who won Jeopardy" to work for them?