IBM has announced advances in Watson’s cognitive computing capabilities that could enable researchers to accelerate the pace of scientific breakthroughs by discovering previously unknown connections in Big Data.
Available now as a cloud service, IBM’s Watson Discovery Advisor is designed to scale and accelerate discoveries by research teams. IBM says it can reduce the time needed to test hypotheses and formulate conclusions that can advance their work.
Building on Watson’s ability to understand nuances in natural language, IBM says Discovery Advisor can understand the language of science, such as how chemical compounds interact.
Discovery Advisor is aimed at influencing industries and professions that rely heavily on data, including law, education, scientific research, engineering, and criminal investigations.
In 2013, the top 1,000 research and development companies spent more than $600 billion annually on research alone.
“We’re entering an extraordinary age of data-driven discovery,” said Mike Rhodin, Senior Vice President, IBM Watson Group. “Today’s announcement is a natural extension of Watson’s cognitive computing capability. We’re empowering researchers with a powerful tool which will help increase the impact of investments organisations make in R&D, leading to significant breakthroughs.”
