"Cognitive Computing" has initiated a new era in computer science. Cognitive computers are not rigidly programmed computers anymore, but they learn from their interactions with humans, from the environment and from information. They are thus able to perform amazing tasks on their own, such as driving a car in dense traffic, piloting an aircraft in difficult conditions, taking complex financial investment decisions, analysing medical-imaging data, and assist medical doctors in diagnosis and therapy. Cognitive computing is based on artificial intelligence, image processing, pattern recognition, robotics, adaptive software, networks and other modern computer science areas, but also includes sensors and actuators to interact with the physical world.
Cognitive computers – also called "intelligent machines" – are emulating the human cognitive, mental and intellectual capabilities. They aim to do for human mental power (the ability to use our brain in understanding and influencing our physical and information environment) what the steam engine and combustion motor did for muscle power. We can expect a massive impact of cognitive computing on life and work. Many modern complex infrastructures, such as the electricity distribution grid, railway networks, the road traffic structure, information analysis (big data), the health care system, and many more will rely on intelligent decisions taken by cognitive computers.
A drawback of cognitive computers will be a shift in employment opportunities: A raising number of tasks will be taken over by intelligent machines, thus erasing entire job categories (such as cashiers, mail clerks, call and customer assistance centres, taxi and bus drivers, pilots, grid operators, air traffic controllers, …).
A possibly dangerous risk of cognitive computing is the threat by “super intelligent machines” to mankind. As soon as they are sufficiently intelligent, deeply networked and have access to the physical world they may endanger many areas of human supremacy, even possibly eliminate humans.
Cognitive computing technology is based on new software architectures – the “cognitive computing architectures”. Cognitive architectures enable the development of systems that exhibit intelligent behaviour.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa.de:bsz:14-qucosa-183603 |
| Date | 11 November 2015 |
| Contributors | Technische Universität Dresden, Fakultät Informatik |
| Publisher | Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | doc-type:workingPaper |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Relation | dcterms:isPartOf:Technische Berichte / Technische Universität Dresden, Fakultät Informatik; 2015 (TUD-FI15-05 Oktober 2015) |
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