IBM成立新研究所推动感知运算研发

IBM 日前在位于美国纽约州的IBM Research举行的一场感知系统研讨会(Cognitive Systems Colloquium，CSC)上，迎接了所谓的“感知运算时代”。 在该场研讨会上，IBM为新成立的感知系统研究所(Cognitive System Institute)揭幕，该研究所是多所大学、研究机构与IBM客户的合作计划，旨在推动先进的感知运算研发，并以四所大学的团队为基础：卡内基美隆大学(Carnegie Mellon University，CMU)、麻省理工学院(MIT)、纽约大学(NYU)、伦斯勒理工学院(Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute，RPI)。 IBM打造模仿人脑感知功能计算机的历史悠久，其“深蓝(Deep Blue)”平台在1997年打败了国际象棋冠军Garry Kasparov；在2011年，IBM的“华生(Watson)”丛集式超级计算机则在知名的电视益智问答节目Jeopardy上，击败两位人类冠军Brad Rutter 与Ken Jennings。 担任IBM Research 全球大学计划总监的Jim Spohrer在接受EETimes美国版访问时表示：“在IBM的华生赢得Jeopardy节目冠军之后，许多大学都与我们联系，表示想与我们在这个感知运算新时代合作，而今日我们很高兴地宣布，我们在这个领域的活动又更进一步。” IBM已经将感知计算机“华生”应用于医疗照护、金融服务等领域，结合深度数据库搜寻与智能图形匹配(pattern matching)算法，为人类专家提供实时性的建议；现在IBM则将藉由与产、官、学界单位合作，进一步扩大其感知计算机的功能──其共同目标就是打造出采用自然语言与人脑仿真算法的感知计算机，在各个应用领域提升人类智能。

IBM的“华生(Watson)”丛集式超级计算机
2wJesmc

“在感知运算领域即将有大事发生，会比“华生”更厉害；我们今日在此的原因是这个计划比整个IBM公司还大。“参与CSC的另一位IBM Research总监John Kelly III表示：“第一个运算时代是将人类任务自动化，而现在这个新时代则完全不同，是有关于将人类的能力微缩并放大，人与机器之间的界线将越来越模糊，两者之间的偕同效应将发光发热。” IBM已经与全球数千所大学进行合作，但其新成立的感知系统研究所将赞助特定的几所大学，开发可实现更聪明、对使用者更友善的感知计算机所需之特定功能。上述四所第一批加入该研究所的大学将在今年取得资金，并在明年分享采用Power架构处理器与华生开放源码软件堆栈的研发成果。 其中由教授Thomas Malone率领的MIT团队，将专注于开发所谓的社会技术(socio-technical tools)工具与应用程序，可提升参与共同任务的工作群体之表现，例如进行决策。藉由更紧密地连结人与计算机，MIT的研究目标是让人-机结合的工作表现，优于任何人或计算机单独达成的工作成果。 “随着这个世界因为使用通讯技术而互连程度越来越高，将所有的人与计算机视为一个“地球脑”，可能会很实用；“Malone在 CSC上表示：“有可能我们这个物种的生存，将会是仰赖结合人类与机器的智能，做出不只是聪明、也要明智的抉择。” 此外由教授Selmer Bringsjord所率领的RPI团队，将利用IBM在处理性能、资料可取得性，以及包括语义(semantic)资料工具在内的“智能”算法进展，开发各种人工智能技术。由教授Eric Nyberg率领的CMU团队，则将专注于分析元素(analytic components)的快速建设、最佳化与实时采用，例如能直接与使用者互动的个人化信息媒介。 由纽约大学资深副教务长Paul Horn率领的NYU团队，将开发自动化图形认知(pattern recognition)算法，以反映利用神经元网络进行的深度学习，将如何对科学产生冲击。IBM Research的Spohrer表示，以上那些新感知系统，将大幅加快相关研发的进展。 “我们到目前为止所开发的感知技术就像是铲子，那些新工具会像是推土机，让我们能做更多事情，像是能扩增人类能力的决策支持系统。”Spohrer指出：“以全球性大学的角度来看，我们所教授的方法也将带来深远的影响，就像计算器改变学生做算术习题的方式，感知计算机也将让高等教育转型。” 除了扩大“华生”计算机的功能，IBM的其它数个感知运算研究项目也将收归在新成立的感知系统研究所旗下，包括由DRAPA赞助、打造仿人脑计算机芯片的SyNAPSE计划。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Judith Cheng 参考英文原文：IBM Unveils Cognitive Systems Institute，by R. Colin Johnson

相关阅读：
• 嵌入式应用迈入新时代：智能运算连结产业云商机
• [图文报道]让人眼花缭乱的嵌入式视觉应用
• IBM在微处理器领域的背水一战2wJesmc

{pagination} IBM Unveils Cognitive Systems Institute R. Colin Johnson IBM ushered in what it called the "era of cognitive computing" yesterday at the Cognitive Systems Colloquium (CSC) held at IBM Research (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.). At the event, IBM unveiled its newly minted Cognitive Systems Institute, a collaborative effort between universities, research institutes, and IBM clients to advance the state-of-the-art incognitive computing, starting with four major universities: Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), New York University (NYU), and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). As part of this new era of cognitive computing, we wanted to make an announcement today about our Cognitive Systems Institute, which will involve four key universities," said Jim Spohrer, director of global university programs at IBM Research (Almaden, Calif.) in an exclusive interview with EETimes. IBM's long history in building computers that can mimic the cognitive functions of humans began with its Deep Blue platform, which beat then reigning world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. More recently, IBM's Watson cluster supercomputer beat the human champions -- Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings -- on the television quiz show Jeopardy in 2011. "After IBM's Watson won on the game show Jeopardy, many universities contacted us saying they would love to work with us on this new era of cognitive computing, and today we are glad to announce we are scaling up our activities in this area," said Spohrer. IBM has already applied its Watson cognitive computer to applications in healthcare and financial services, where it combines deep database searchers and intelligent pattern matching algorithms that provide realtime advise to human experts. Now IBM aims to generalize its cognitive computer capabilities with collaborative efforts between academic, industry and government research centers whose joint goal is to create cognitive computers that use natural language and brain-emulating algorithms to augment human intelligence in all areas of endeavor. "Something big is happening in cognitive computing. It’s much bigger than Watson. We're here today because this is bigger than us. It's bigger than the IBM company," said John Kelly III, director of IBM Research at CSC. "The first eras of computing were about automating human tasks. This era is fundamentally different. This era will be about scaling and magnifying human capability. The separation between man and machine will blur. The synergy between the two will shine through." IBM already works with thousands of universities worldwide, but its new Cognitive Systems Institute will enlist the help of particular universities to develop specific capabilities needed to realize a smarter more user-friendly type of cognitive computer. The four universities initially joining the Institute will receive funding this year to be followed next year by shared university research awards to include Power architecture servers running a Watson open-source software stack. The MIT team, led by professor Thomas Malone, will concentrate on developing what it calls socio-technical tools and applications that boost the performance of groups of workers engaged in collaborative tasks, such as decision making. By more closely connecting people and computers the MIT effort will aim for combined man-machine performance that is more intelligent than any person, group of computer can achieve alone. "As the world becomes more interconnected through the use of communications technology, it may become useful to view all the people and computers as part of a single global brain," said Malone at CSC. "It's possible that the survival of our species will depend on combining human and machine intelligence to make choices that are not just smart but are also wise." The RPI team, led by professor Selmer Bringsjord, will explore artificial intelligence techniques that take advantage of recent IBM advances in processing power, data availability, and "smart" algorithms including "semantic" data tools. The CMU team, led by professor Eric Nyberg, will concentrate on the rapid construction, optimization, and real-time adaptation of large collections of analytic components, such as personalized information agents that directly interact with users. The NYU team, led by Paul Horn, senior vice provost for research at New York University, will develop automated pattern recognition algorithms that reflect how deep learning using neural networks can impact science. Spohrer said: Our view is that these new cognitive systems will accelerate progress immensely. Up until now we have been using cognitive shovels, but these new tools will be like cognitive bulldozers, enabling us to do a lot more in terms of decision support systems that augment human performance. And from the global university perspective they will also have profound implications regarding the ways we teach. Just as the calculator changed how students did math problems, cognitive computers will transform higher education. IBM's Watson cluster supercomputer beat the human champions on the television quiz show Jeopardy. In addition to expanding the capabilities of IBM's Watson, several other cognitive computing initiatives also fall under the umbrella of the Cognitive Systems Institute, including IBM's attempts to build computer chips modeled on the human brain -- the Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics (SyNAPSE) project sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA).