Artificial Intelligence to Help the Practitioner Choose the Right Treatment: Watson for Oncology

Abstract

We have entered a third era of computing: the era of artificial intelligence. The first was made up of non-programmable machines that performed very simple calculations on digital data. Users of these machines interpreted the results obtained to generate information. The second comprised today’s massively used computers allowing the processing of information via computer programs developed according to business needs. Users employ the results to generate knowledge from their experience and the associated context. The third was initiated by IBM in 2011 and is related to the phenomenal amount of data and information humans produce and use. Since these can be structured or unstructured (currently nearly 80%), only a machine equipped with artificial intelligence can produce knowledge effectively for users in their business.