Cognitive Computing

What is Cognitive Computing?

Cognitive computing is commonly thought of as a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that uses an algorithmic model to simulate the process of human thought. It is often used as an umbrella term for a new class of technology intended to do work previously done by knowledge workers.

However, cognitive computing is an ambiguous term. Wikipedia notes: “at present, there is no widely agreed upon definition for cognitive computing in either academia or industry.” For example, it can be viewed either as:

  1. Simulating human processes (biological realism)
  2. Simulating human capabilities

The phrase “cognitive computing” does not describe a technique, a set of algorithms or implementations, or even a clear set of core capabilities. According to Tom Austin, vice president and fellow at Gartner:

“‘Cognitive’ is marketing malarkey. It implies machines think. Nonsense. Bad assumptions lead to bad conclusions.”

Cognitive Computing + DataRobot

DataRobot aims to cut through the hype surrounding cognitive computing by building real, practical enterprise automated machine learning software which can be applied to everyday business problems. We don’t claim to be developing human brains or replacing human capabilities – we just help users of all analytical skill levels make better business decisions based on data.

Cut through the hype and start seeing value