我讀: IBM says
'big data' will transform schools, hospitals — and malls
You can read the rest of the predictions,
as well as past "5 in
5s," at IBM's A Smarter Planet page. Sure, they sound like science fiction now, but five years
is a long time in tech. Come 2018, we'll see whether these ideas were too
ambitious, or not ambitious enough.
IBM says 'big data' will transform schools, hospitals — and malls
Dec. 17, 2013 at 12:01 AM ET
IBM
IBM has released its yearly
"5 in 5"
predictions for the technological innovations that could change the way
we live over the next five years, and this time it's all about "big
data." We generate so much information every day, yet it's rarely put to
good use — IBM thinks that's about to change, with profound
implications for everything from medical care to window shopping.
Big
data is a term that gets thrown around a lot, and for good reason:
Between online tracking, intelligent city infrastructure, and phones and
tablets taking the place of paper and pen, more data is being
accumulated than ever.
But much of that data has yet to be used to
actually make things better. We can tell where traffic is and why it's
there — but can't prevent it. We can track a student's progress with a
digital permanent record — but we can't adjust their lesson plan. IBM's
prediction is that the next five years will bring practical applications
of these piles of bits and bytes. And the five predictions they make
are:
-The classroom will learn you
-Buying local will beat online
-Doctors will use your DNA to keep you well
-A digital guardian will protect you online
-The city will help you live in it
Take
the classroom, for instance. Children who do all their homework,
reading and testing on a tablet or computer can be evaluated and tracked
continually and independently. Is one excelling in math but lagging
behind on reading comprehension? A teacher can dial up the lessons in
one and examine the shortcomings in the other with a few taps — no
conference needed, no staying after class.
It'll be much different from the way the last generation was schooled, but kids and teachers both seem to benefit.
"The
kids adapt to it instantly," said Bernard Meyerson, IBM's chief
innovation officer, in a phone interview with NBC News. "These kids are
digital, they know how to do this stuff."
"If we don't focus on education the way we focus on health care and other issues, we're in deep trouble," he continued.
DNA,
too, is a treasure trove of information just waiting to be truly taken
advantage of. What if instead of blindly trying a cancer treatment, that
treatment could be cross-referenced against your DNA — or even better,
against others whose DNA is similar? The database would have to be
massive (and confidential, naturally), and the computing power to
wrangle it immense, but the benefits are potentially just as huge.
What
about cities, where there are cameras on every corner, car-sensing
plates at every traffic light and meters at every place where
electricity and water are distributed? The information generated by a
city's denizens as they go about their everyday lives could improve
things immensely. And you don't need to go around installing high-tech
gizmos, either.
"You can do some amazing stuff with the
infrastructure that's already there," explained Meyerson. "You can
actually make those real-time adjustments in the processes of the city,
without adding anything, frankly."
What's missing isn't the
hardware, it's the software. At the center of all the data created by
millions of people, cars and dollars should be a brain, nipping and
tucking here and there to save a few thousand gallons of water, get
people home a few minutes earlier, or dispatch police or firemen before
anyone thinks to call them.
Of course, it's not all such serious
business. You yourself produce a lot of data that's only relevant to
you: how quickly you go through a gallon of milk, how many miles you've
walked in your shoes, what recipes you like. IBM is working on a sort of
digital personal assistant that looks at all that info and not only
reminds you to pick up more milk, but recommends spices for that curry
you've been perfecting.
"We have a 'chef' function that looks at
the tastes you like, and literally suggests combinations of flavors you
might like," said Meyerson. Alternatively, it might let you know that
shoes you'd considered buying are on sale at the shop you're about to
pass by, or warn you that the shop you're already in doesn't have them
in your size.
You can read the rest of the predictions, as well as past "5 in 5s," at IBM's
A Smarter Planet page.
Sure, they sound like science fiction now, but five years is a long
time in tech. Come 2018, we'll see whether these ideas were too
ambitious, or not ambitious enough.
Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.
The 5 in 5
Innovations that will change our lives in the next five years
In the future, everything will learn
This year, IBM researchers are exploring the idea that everything
will learn – driven by a new era of cognitive systems where machines
will learn, reason and engage with us in a more natural and personalized
way. These innovations are beginning to emerge enabled by cloud
computing, big data analytics and learning technologies all coming
together.
A new era in computing will lead to breakthroughs that will amplify
human abilities, assist us in making good choices, look out for us and
help us navigate our world in powerful new ways.
Read more about the IBM 5 in 5.
Contact IBM
Call us at 1-866-426-4252
The classroom will learn you
The classroom of the future will learn about each individual student
over the course of their education, helping them master the skills that
match their goals.The rapid digitization of educational institutions
will allow unprecedented instrumentation of the learning process.
Cognitive computing, or learning technologies, will help us calculate
everything we can about how each student learns and thrives, then create
flexibility in the system to continually adapt and fine-tune what we
deliver to that student and how this supports teachers and employers.
Katharine Frase
VP and CTO, Global Public Sector
Katharine provides thought leadership on innovation and strategic transformation specific to the creation of new solutions.
Buying local will beat online
The technology trends will move us back to brick and mortar—but with a
difference. In the future, retailers will layer increasing levels of
engagement and personalization on top of the shopping experience,
ultimately merging the instant gratification of physical shopping with
the richness of online shopping and making same-day delivery a snap.
Sima Nadler
IBM Research Lead for Retail
Sima acts as the liaison between IBM Research and the Retail/
Commerce sales, services and development arms of IBM and its customers.
Doctors will routinely use your DNA to keep you well
Today, full DNA testing to help make treatment decisions is still
rare. But cognitive systems and cloud computing may make this form of
treatment mainstream. It could be done faster, more affordably and much
more frequently. In addition to DNA testing for cancers, we may even
see DNA-specific personalized treatment options for conditions such as
stroke and heart disease.
Ajay Royyuru
Director, Computational Biology Center
Working with biologists and institutions around the world, Ajay is
engaged in research that will advance personalized, information-based
medicine.
A digital guardian will protect you online
Security is evolving from being based on rules, like passwords, to
being automatic and made stronger through us just being us.This guardian
will have your back, trained to focus on the people and items it is
entrusted with based on a 360 degree of an individual’s data, devices
and applications. It will make inferences about what’s normal or
reasonable activity and what’s not, ready to spot deviations that could
be precursors to an attack and a stolen identity.
J.R. Rao
Director, Security Research
JR works closely with customers and academic partners to drive new
and innovative technologies into IBM's products and services and
definitive industry standards.
The city will help you live in it
For citizens, smart phones enabled by cognitive systems will provide a
digital key to the city. People can have fingertip access to
information about everything that’s happening in the city, whether an
experience is right for them, and how best to get there. Because these
learning systems have interacted with citizens continuously, they know
what they like—and can present them with options they might not find
easily.
Sergio Borger
IBM Research - Brazil - Strategy & Human Systems
Sergio’s current work in sentient cities brings mobile, social and cognitive computational aspects into our modern urban lives.
Learning videos and
activity kits
Connect with our experts to explore more
Learning Technologies
IBM researcher Dario Gil explains how learning systems are different
from the traditional computers that we're using widely today.
Hello, Watson
Math Games for Kids
Big Data & Cognitive Systems
IBM Research VP David McQueeney explains how the combination of big
data and cognitive computing make it possible to know ourselves and our
world more deeply.
STEM and the new era of computing
Mission: Innovation
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