IBM scientists in Israel
collaborate with researchers from the Sagol School
of Neuroscience to better understand how the brain works.
Top PhD students from the Sagol School of Neuroscience
in Tel Aviv
University will spend time working
side by side with IBM researchers in Haifa, Israel
to develop new computer models that offer insight into how the brain works. The
program includes joint research in the areas of machine learning, data mining,
and cognitive computing.
As we see more and more of the world's activity being
expressed digitally, the amount of Big Data is growing at an unprecedented
rate. Most of this data is unstructured in the form of video, images, symbols,
or natural language. This means we need new computing models to process and
make sense of it, allowing people to make smarter decisions.
IBM believes that cognitive computing
– the third era of computing systems that learn and interact naturally
with people to extend what either man or machine could do on their own – is the
answer.
To do this,
scientists must better understand how the human
brain works to architect new computing paradigms that emulate the brain's
efficiency. IBM researchers are using machine learning and analytics to bring
computers to the next level of details in terms of understanding the concepts
inside the text or the structure of the text.
“By working closely with industry leaders such as IBM,
we can create a synergy that accelerates the development of new technologies in
the area of brain science,” said Prof. Uri Ashery, head of Sagol School of
Neuroscience. “This program offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the
competence of our students by giving them hands-on experience working with the
world's leading IT company.”
The first student joining this program will work with
IBM researchers to build probabilistic graphic models, an approach used to
develop reasoning algorithms that help explain how humans conceptualize data. The
ultimate goal of the project is to gain a better understanding of dyslexia.
“By advancing research into cognitive computing and
making computers more like biological systems that respond and react to what's going
on around them, we can find new ways to help people make sense of all this data,”
said Moshe Levinger, senior manager of Analytics and Verification at IBM Research - Haifa . “The internship program with the Sagol School of
Neuroscience provides a wonderful opportunity for us to strengthen our close
relationship with academia while training the next generation of cognitive
computing scientists.”
The first cognitive computer from IBM was Watson, which debuted in a televised Jeopardy! challenge in which it beat out the show’s two greatest champions. The challenge for Watson was to answer questions posed in natural language, including puns, synonyms and homonyms, slang, and jargon. Watson was able to answer the question using machine learning, statistical analysis and natural language processing. Newer generations of Watson are now being trained in cancer diagnosis to support healthcare professionals, and in customer service to help support representatives.
Just a few of the new cognitive computing projects
being conceptualized at IBM Research – Haifa include research directions for more
personalized education based on how people learn, studies into areas of the
brain that control our emotional reactions such as anxiety and stress, and
machine learning models that provide insight into mapping different electrical
signals to specific regions of the brain.
Labels: analytics, brain research, cognitive computing, IBM Research - Haifa, machine learning, Moshe Levinger, Sagol School of Neuroscience, watson