Cognitive Computing and Big Data Analytics

CHAPTER 4 The Relationship Between Big Data and Cognitive Computing

A cognitive computing environment requires sufficient amount of data to discover patterns or anomalies within that data. In many situations a large data set is required. Within a cognitive system it is important to have enough data that the results of analytics are trustworthy and consistent. A cognitive system requires the ingestion and mapping of data so that the system can begin to discover where there are connections between data sources to begin discovering insights. To accomplish the goal of finding insights in data, a cognitive system includes both structured and unstructured data. Structured data, such as data in a relational database, is created for processing by a computer. In contrast, unstructured data in the form of written material, video, and images, is designed for human consumption and interpretation. This chapter explains the role that big data plays in creating cognitive computing systems.

Dealing with Human-Generated Data

There is nothing new about dealing with large data sets. In normal form database records, the content and structure are intended to minimize redundancy and to preconfigure the relationships between fields. Therefore, a relational database is optimized for the way systems interact and interpret data. Originally, data within a cognitive system was intended for humans to process. Such data includes everything from journal articles and other documents to videos, audio,