Big Data Now: 2014 Edition

Chapter 1. Cognitive Augmentation

We address the theme of cognitive augmentation first because this is where the rubber hits the road: we build machines to make our lives better, to bring us capacities that we don’t otherwise have—or that only some of us would. This chapter opens with Beau Cronin’s thoughtful essay on predictive APIs, things that deliver the right functionality and content at the right time, for the right person. The API is the interface that tackles the challenge that Alistair Croll defined as “Designing for Interruption.” Ben Lorica then discusses graph analysis, an increasingly prevalent way for humans to gather information from data. Graph analysis is one of the many building blocks of cognitive augmentation; the way that tools interact with each other—and with us—is a rapidly developing field with huge potential.

Challenges Facing Predictive APIs

Solutions to a number of problems must be found to unlock PAPI value

by Beau Cronin

In November, the first International Conference on Predictive APIs and Apps will take place in Barcelona, just ahead of Strata Barcelona. This event will bring together those who are building intelligent web services (sometimes called Machine Learning as a Service) with those who would like to use these services to build predictive apps, which, as defined by Forrester, deliver “the right functionality and content at the right time, for the right person, by continuously learning about them and predicting what they’ll need.”

This is ...