IBM Think 2018 - A Mega Event
I attended IBM's Think conference this week in Las Vegas, and there were a lot of great moments and takeaways to share. Our team has attended IBM's InterConnect conference many times over the past few years, and this new event is bigger and broader than any IBM event I've attended in past years; there was so much to see, learn, and do. I personally stayed in the Business and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tracks, attending a few presentations around asset management, including a client presentation from Westar Energy.
"Not Blue Collar, Not White Collar - But NEW Collar"
I had the pleasure of attending the Chairman's Address where IBM CEO Ginni Rometty spoke about what the future holds with this new era of cognitive technology. We are living on the brink of a new technology era - the era of Man + Technology instead of Man v. Technology. Did you know that, per IBMs research, there is a $2 trillion market opportunity if we simply made better, smarter decisions? Rometty advised that one of the best areas to start practicing this smarter, more cognitive decision making is in Risk and Compliance, and that implementing a platform is the first step.
We are in the cognitive era of data creation and consumption. We ask: "how can we take information and use it to make smarter, more powerful decisions?" Data is now the basis for competitive advantage and Ginni noted three things we need to be ensuring with our use of data:
- Data Trust and Responsibility
- Jobs and Skills
- Inclusion
John Cohn - An IBM Legend
I had the privilege to meet up with John Cohn (pictured here). He is one of the most decorated distinguished engineers in IBM history. Cohn is one of the key contributors to cognitive computing and Watson. If you have some time, watch this video that IBM made for his 35 year anniversary with the company. He knows the importance of bringing 'play' into everyday, because work without play - is just work! Thanks John for 'playing it forward' at Think 2018!
What were your takeaways from IBM Think this week? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Can't wait for Think 2019 - San Francisco here we come!
