Dumb Web, Smart Web, Knowledgable Web
Gabriele Kotsis · 2014
In February 2011, Watson (IBM super computer) managed to beat two past grand champions on the TV quiz show Jeopardy!. Watson was able to answer questions that require intelligence when done by humans. This marked the first machine to pass the Turing test and started a new era of computing called cognitive computing where computers (modeled after the human brain) learn and interact naturally with people to extend what either humans or machine could do on their own. Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc., using big data technologies, smart Machine Learning and AI algorithms were able to tap into our intensions by predicting what we click, buy, like, dislike, shop, surf, etc.,. This marked the era of smart Web or predictive intelligence where Turing test is reversed and machines now try to figure out who we are, our information needs, our behavioral patterns, the activities we are engaged in and our goals. Together with the torrents of data we leave behind us every time we communicate with the digital eco-system, a new era of human-machine cooperation is starting that gives us millions of potential insights into user experience, marketing, personal tastes, and human behavior. In this talk, we are going to illustrate through motivating cases and research directions the main characteristics of this era and how it can transform the way we interact with the Web to ultimately improve the quality of our lives and gain valuable insights into our affective, mental and physical states.