Smart Machines, IBM’s Watson and the Era of Cognitive Computing by John E. Kelly III and Steve Hamm

Small cities and towns use of technology is growing. Smart Machines is a fascinating book that takes a very technical subject and presents it succinctly to the general reader. The implications and applicability for cities and towns of all sizes is strong. The last chapter specifically discusses how cities can benefit from cognitive machines. With the growth of sensors, AI, blockchains, smart dumpster, autonomous vehicles and alternative energy sources, small cities and towns are obliged to learn about these new technologies and determine ways that the new tools can be used to their advantage.The book is five years old, a lifetime in this space, but the fundamentals are still useful.

The general objective of the book is to explain the evolution of computers from systems that store and retrieve known information to systems that “think” by reviewing the data and reaching conclusions that answer questions with unknown answers. The use of “big data” is the critical input to the cloud technology that enables trends to be deciphered from the vast amounts of data collected throughrmal city operations.

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