2011, it was mostly a good year for Artificial Intelligence. I hope it was a good year for you!

2011 has been a great year for many associated with artificial intelligence. A few of the milestones have been IBM’s Watson Artificial Intelligence Application beating the world’s best jeopardy players (Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter) in February. IBM quickly put Watson to work in the Wellpoint  to help improve patient care through the delivery of up-to-date, evidence-based health care for millions of Americans.

Discovery Machine has had a great year to.  Our AI work with the Navy is receiving great reviews.  We released our VBS2 Behavior Modeling Console and entered a formal partnership with Bohemia Interactive.  We had a great  Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) at the beginning of this month.  Hundreds came by our booth for demonstrations of our Navy and VBS2 AI solutions.

The sad event for the year was the passing of John McCarthy in October at 84.  John designed Lisp in the late 50s.  We have all done a little Lisp.  Late at night on the VAX  11/780 in the 80s I was not a fan but I am now. He also coined the term “Artificial Intelligence” at the famous Dartmouth Conference in the summer of 1956.

One of the best AI events this year is the closing of the Google’s sponsored AI contest at “aichallenge.org”, the winner was announced on December 23rd at 9:00 PM. The winner was Mathis Lichtenberger. He is a second year computer science student at the University of Lubeck  They say there is no prizes just “There is of course the glory and bragging rights that come with doing well in the best programming contest ever made.”  Mathis, give me a call and I will give a job!

So we end 2011 as an great year for AI.  I cannot wait for 2012 to begin. Have a great new year, see you in 2012.

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