Yes, "Watson" is really old technology coupled with costly consulting services. And yes, IBM is far behind Google, Facebook and other Silicon Valley companies in AI research.
That said, for MIT, which in some ways is trying to catch up with schools like Toronto and Stanford in AI research, particularly in deep learning, it makes a lot of sense to take the $240 million from IBM to create a dedicated AI research center.
I think they have a shot at becoming an important 'center of gravity' for AI research in the East Coast.
That said, for MIT, which in some ways is trying to catch up with schools like Toronto and Stanford in AI research, particularly in deep learning, it makes a lot of sense to take the $240 million from IBM to create a dedicated AI research center.
I think they have a shot at becoming an important 'center of gravity' for AI research in the East Coast.