Why IBM refers to AI as ‘cognitive computing’

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty discussed the company’s choice to brand its artificial intelligence platform, Watson, as a cognitive computing system during a Sept. 13 interview with Bloomberg Businessweek.

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“I have actually had to explain this to my husband as well, because he said to me, ‘Ginni, of all words, why cognitive?'” she told Bloomberg. “It was really a very thoughtful decision. The world calls it AI. There’s so much fear-mongering about AI. When we started over a decade ago, the idea was to help you and I make better decisions amid cognitive overload. That’s what has always led us to cognitive.”

For Ms. Rometty, artificial intelligence is best used as a form of decision support. “If I considered the initials AI, I would have preferred augmented intelligence,” she added. “It’s the idea that each of us are going to need help on all important decisions.”

Click here to view the Bloomberg interview.

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