IBM’s Watson, which once stole the limelight by defeating human opponents on Jeopardy, has been repurposed as Watsonx, an AI development studio aimed at empowering businesses to build their own AI platforms. This shift mirrors the recent launch of NVIDIA’s AI Foundations program, which follows a similar premise.
Prior to this transformation, IBM had originally intended to use Watson’s ability to mimic human thought processes to assist medical professionals in diagnosing patients and suggesting treatments. Despite these high hopes, the vision didn’t pan out as expected.
Watsonx, in contrast, offers a suite of foundational and open-source models that companies can leverage for training their AI systems. IBM envisions Watsonx as a resource for AI developers, providing an extensive range of training models with traceable data lineage. These models can be tailored to various industry-specific needs, from auto-generating code for software developers to managing industry-specific databases.
A notable demonstration of Watsonx’s capabilities is IBM’s collaboration with NASA. They used the platform’s geospatial foundation model to transform satellite imagery into maps that track changes induced by climate change and natural disasters.
Although Watson’s transformation from a high-profile, human-defeating supercomputer to an AI development studio might seem less glamorous, it has the potential to make a more significant impact. IBM’s new AI training program could bring elements of Watson to the masses, depending on how businesses choose to use it.
Watsonx is slated for a phased launch, with the Watsonx.ai studio becoming available in July, followed by the release of additional features later in the year.
