What I Learned about IBM Watson from an Ad

June 27, 2013

I opened my dead tree version of the Wall Street Journal this morning and what did I see? A news story about the mining industry’s woes? An article probing Google’s most recent, top secret initiative? An interview with someone at the Fed about the bond excitement? Nope.

I saw a full page ad with the headline “How Watson Helps Answer Big Questions with Big Data.” I read the ad in the context of this news story: “Documents Sow IBM Layoffs in North America Now Top 3,000.”

The ad does not reference IBM’s struggles with its own core businesses. The ad asserts that IBM has a system which can help a company deal with Big Data. Here’s the passage I noted:

IBM Watson is one example of a new form of computing: an advanced cognitive system built to analyze and extract knowledge from vast amounts of largely unstructured data with unparalleled speed and results. Since its triumph on Jeopardy! in 2011, Watson’s power has been applied to healthcare, finance, education, and government. And its users are starting to find new ways to help their employees, clients, customers, and citizens.

The case examples do not include IBM’s own use of Watson.

The article includes a quote which I heard in my days at Booz, Allen & Hamilton (a now well known outfit):

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The trouble is, I don’t know which half.”—John Wanamaker, whose empire is now part of Macy’s.

My thought was that an ad about Watson without providing hard facts about how Watson is helping IBM deal with its own business is interesting. The logical jump to the uncertainty of advertising was surprising as well.

Net net: Is Watson recommending the staff cut backs or is it basic cost reduction? My hunch is that Watson may be asking, “Do I have job security?” Or, “Is their an opening in advertising for a Big Data smart system?”

My personal question, “Is Watson fully employed in a job for which a new form of computing is uniquely qualified?”

And that’s how, on a smarter planet, answer leads to answer, and progress builds on progress. To learn more, visit us at ibm.com/watson.

Okay. Layoffs. Progress.

Stephen E Arnold, June 27, 2013

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Stephen E. Arnold monitors search, content processing, text mining and related topics from his high-tech nerve center in rural Kentucky. He tries to winnow the goose feathers from the giblets. He works with colleagues worldwide to make this Web log useful to those who want to go "beyond search". Contact him at sa [at] arnoldit.com. His Web site with additional information about search is arnoldit.com.