Watson read speeches and photographs from former IBM chairman and CEO Thomas J. Watson’s private collection as well as hundreds of his letters to U.S. presidents.
By getting “under the surface” of text and images, IBM Watson can analyze semantic features, including high-level concepts that aren’t directly stated in text and images. In this case, IBM Watson used a variety of APIs to analyze the data behind Thomas J. Watson, finding an 86.75% relevancy between his speeches and lyrics from the 1960s’ worldwide rock ‘n’ roll revolution.
Based on this insight, artist Peter Hahn created The Think Album, a mixed-media portrait of Thomas J. Watson that combines seminal IBM iconography with allusions to 1960s rock ‘n’ roll album art.
About Art with Watson: IBM Watson is a cognitive system that understands, reasons and learns. In the few years Watson has been at work in the world, he’s had one purpose: to augment human ability. To help us make better decisions, do what we do better. Hidden Portraits is a collaboration between Watson and a selection of notable contemporary artists. Those artists used insights uncovered by Watson to create unique and revealing, never-before-possible portraits of influential thinkers. See the art at ibm.com/Watson/artwithwatson
