IBM FOUNDATION THINK TOGETHER 2016


What will the future be like for my kids if the most basic processes become automated? What is the impact if Artificial Intelligence can predict everything that we do? How could the world improve with a greater awareness of what the artificial brain can do?

Those were the kind of questions that IBM Foundation Think Together (FTT) created, and I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about it for the next few days. The event was a celebration of Graduate and Apprentices from across the UK to come together and collaborate, which was something that only happens once a year. The event was packed – imagine walking through the front door of a massive room and being hit by a tight crowd all stood in their groups talking, you vaguely recognise some faces but others you have absolutely no idea. That was how FTT felt, but as you watch the speakers and move around the different electives you choose, the more comfortable you felt with lots of recognisable faces.

Personally, the event was overwhelming and inspiring at the same time – hearing from the likes of Master Inventors, Sportsmen and Baronesses throws a lot at you in a short space of time. I felt great, getting to spend a day with friends that I haven’t seen since I started, coupled with one of my favourite topics it was a wonderful set up – and FTT definitely followed through with what it promised.


One of my favourite parts of the day was listening to Baroness Susan Greenfield, her topic was the human versus the artificial brain and whether the artificial brain actually has the capability to overtake the human brain. It was definitely technical (in biology terms), discussing connectivity between lab rats and a rat that has been running around outside; or the discussion between book and video game characters. There are a lot of take-away points from this talk, and my most prevalent was the discussion between how a human brain can connect objects or music to specific people, whereby the Cognitive and artificial brain will struggle to make the most simple of human connections. Imagine listening to the song from the first date with that special person, or the first dance at your wedding, it creates a very real connection between the song and that particular moment – and that’s something an artificial brain will never experience because it’s those moments in life that make it all worthwhile.

Another thing that cemented my interest in the Internet of Things (IoT) was a talk by Master Inventor Andy Stanford Clark. I have always had an interest in the amount of data that is gathered about me – whether that is what I’m buying at the supermarket or where I’m going with the introduction of Smart Motorways. Andy brought it all together in a package and it seemed to finally click that IoT integrates my interest in Analytics, with my broader knowledge of how that data is collated. A particular take-away from this was the project he had around fridge/freezers, he collated data for a whole village on how often their fridges were on and off – until FTT I had no idea how significant that was. Andy was a really interesting character too, and being able to work on short projects that he owned rather than a small cog in a large machine seemed to suit him down to the ground.


One more thing that interested me was a talk by James Cracknell whom is a sportsman and adventurer, pushed himself right to the edge of his limits and got hit by a lorry cycling in America. The head injury changed his life, but what was lovely about the presentation was that he focused on his achievements rather than the injury. Having such an inspirational speaker like James makes a big difference to the day, because it brings everything back down to earth, and it reminds you how fortunate you are to be in a good position in life. Plus, it discusses as an overall arch to the day, with the crowd being reminded that the human brain is a lot more fragile and susceptible to injury in comparison to a computer.

Overall, the day was great – it ended in a gala dinner whereby I got to meet new IBMers I hadn’t met before. The day wasn’t what I was expecting, it was well organised and done in a way that it suited everyone, not just the people that were looking forward to the evening dinner. Upon reflection I think the app was great, but there could have been a map so that we could see where the electives were – as I did embarrass myself in one of the electives by asking the man hosting (Rupert Colchester) who he was and what his role was (the talk was on his role and how he has been since being a Graduate). He surprised me and actually taught me one or two things that I wasn’t expecting, and I didn’t cause too much damage! However overall I’d definitely recommend it to anyone else who is thinking of going from IBM, even if it is just once.

All views are my own and not IBM's. Pictures Sourced: https://twitter.com/FndTT2016

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