IBM’s cognitive computing platform, Watson, is being used in a host of businesses in finance, healthcare, legal, and other fields. But, there are some deployments that may surprise you.
IBM partnered with womenswear brand Marchesa to develop a cognitive dress that responded to human emotion at the Met Gala. Using Watson APIs and a host of other tools, the dress analyzed social sentiment and changed color depending on how users responded on Twitter.
SEE: 5 companies using IBM Watson to power their business (ZDNet)
Using the cognitive power of IBM Watson, Bear Naked granola customers can build their own granola blend on BearNakedCustom.com. Once a base granola is chosen, chef Watson suggests other flavor pairings based on your preferences.
In March 2016, Hilton Worldwide announced “Connie,” a robot hotel concierge developed in conjunction with IBM Watson. Connie is currently stationed in Virginia, and can help with visitor requests, make restaurant recommendations, or explain some of the hotel’s amenities, among other things.
SEE: 5 companies using IBM Watson to power their business (ZDNet)
Edge Up Sports is using IBM Watson to power its application that helps fantasy football fans better manage their teams. The goal of the app is to make it easier and faster to understand insights from the latest games and stay competitive.
In late 2014, IBM Watson partnered with LifeLearn to bring Watson’s cognitive capabilities to veterinarians. The main product, LifeLearn Sofie, collects insight from the latest content around animal health so that veterinarians can stay up to date on the latest practices and provide better care.
SEE: 5 companies using IBM Watson to power their business
The IBM Watson Trend app takes data from millions of online conversations about specific products to help shoppers understand what will become trendy in a holiday season, so they can buy it before it sells out. For example, the app predicted which Lego sets were likely to sell out around Christmas 2015.
IBM employees get access to a special version of Welltok’s Caf\u00e9Well Concierge that is powered by Watson. It can help users better understand their health benefits and conditions, and it can even answer questions in natural language, such as: “How long can I stay in the hospital post-partum?”
SEE: 5 companies using IBM Watson to power their business
As part of a year-long research project, IBM Watson for Cyber Security will be developed in partnership with eight universities to help detect potential threats. Data from IBM’s X-Force research library, as well as thousands of other security documents, will be fed into the system to help it better determine threats.
SEE: IBM Watson takes on cybercrime with new cloud-based cybersecurity technology
With the Chef Watson app–created by IBM and Bon Appetit–Watson can teach you how to cook meals. Based on your dietary restrictions and specified ingredients, Watson can suggest a multitude of recipes and teach you how to make them step-by-step.
By analyzing unstructured data and collecting information on consumer markets, Watson can pick out clothes for you. The North Face created a Watson-powered Expert Personal Shopper app, which suggests relevant products for each customer.
The online therapy platform Talkspace joined forces with IBM to better help its users facing mental health issues. The cognitive computing power of Watson enables the system to make decisions and connect users to licensed therapists based on specific mental health needs.
Staples has used IBM Watson to transform its Easy Button into a customer service machine. The Easy Button is now a cognitive ordering ecosystem that allows customers to use voice, text, or email to order supplies.
The 2017 Wimbledon competition upped its game in AI technology. IBM Watson created video highlights of the games, based on facial recognition, crowd noise, and other sensory data. The presence of IBM Watson essentially eliminates the need for a video editor, as the engine puts together highlight packages at a more efficient rate.
In 2016, IBM and General Motors (GM) joined forces to bring AI to automobiles. The aim was to bring location-based services to users in the car. GM’s Onstar Go uses machine learning to interpret user preferences and find patterns in driving decisions, going on to provide personalized marketing ads.
The American Cancer Society and IBM Watson partnered in 2016 to help give cancer patients individualized information and advice. The result was a virtual advisor, through which patients could ask questions and receive meaningful responses. The Watson-powered system analyzed the patient’s type of cancer and stage, to provide the best advice.
The nonprofit Sesame Workshop and IBM Watson set out to improve global childhood education in 2016. Through Watson, the Sesame Workshop was able to offer educational systems and products that can adapt to any child’s learning style.
Standard Bank uses IBM Watson to improve expediency of addressing customer inquiries. The system identifies customers quickly, resulting in a much faster response time and improving the overall operations of the bank.
Watson partnered with Wayblazer to create a comprehensive travel research and booking service. The system is able to analyze images and reviews to create specialized recommendations for each traveler. Wayblazer offers options based on the client’s desires, changing the way travel agencies operate.
Smart toys are on the rise. With CogniToys, IBM Watson is used to connecting with kids. The internet-connected toy is able to answer questions, tell jokes and stories, and even create a personality. The educational toy is meant to be a child’s best friend and help them learn math, spelling, and more.
\tUnder Armour and Watson are getting fit. Their partnership aims to provide data-backed fitness and health insights for wearables and fitness apps. The Under Armour fitness app UA Record uses Watson to create a cognitive coaching function, which gives users a fitness trainer and personal health consultant.
Conner is a former Senior Editor for TechRepublic. He is now a Senior Research Analyst at 451 Research.
