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IBM Watson

IBM Watson

Owned by Cassandra Rinker
Nov 05, 2021

Watson is an IBM cognitive computing system that solves problems and answers questions by using advanced natural language processing, information retrieval, knowledge representation, automated reasoning and machine-learning technologies (often referred to as artificial intelligence). Watson sorts Big Data to filter out noise and identify specific resources that can help researchers find the right answer to a question. This tool can help them find information they would likely not find on their own and speed up work that might take a human years to complete.

Watson on Bluemix provides a wide range of cognitive tools to help researchers quickly and securely build smart applications that target the information they are seeking. From analyzing images and videos to understanding sentiment, keywords and entities from text.

Watson is a free service that is now available to WVU faculty, students and staff through a partnership with IBM.

Data classified as sensitive in the Sensitive Data Protection Policy should never be uploaded to a third-party cloud service such as Watson. Sensitive data must always be stored in secure, University-approved locations. Contact Information Security (infosec@mail.wvu.edu) if the data you want to use with Watson is sensitive data.

Access Watson on Bluemix

Access to Watson on Bluemix is solely cloud-based, so there are no hardware requirements needed other than an internet connection. To download the IBM Watson product:

  1. Go to wvu.onthehub.com.

  2. Sign in using your WVU Login username and password by clicking the Sign In link at the top right corner of the page. You will automatically be logged in if you have already signed into another WVU authenticated system in the same browser session.

  3. Search for Watson on IBM Bluemix in the Product Search field.

  4. Select Watson IoT Platform on IBM Bluemix Promo Code.

  5. Select Add to Cart.

  6. Select Check Out.

  7. You will need to accept the "Academic Initiative Program Agreement" before you will be able to use the product.

  8. Faculty members will need to complete a short survey.

  9. Complete "Contact Information" and select Proceed with Order.

  10. The next page will be a receipt. You should retain this page for your records and you will need the Promo Code from this receipt. You will be emailed a page with instructions on how to access Watson through IBM's Bluemix portal which are detailed in the following steps.

  11. Register

     for an IBM Bluemix trial account, if you haven’t already. (Don’t forget: To complete the registration process you must respond to the click/accept text or email from id@bluemix.net).

  12. Login

     to your Bluemix dashboard. Click on Account in the top-right corner and then on Account Type in the left navigation. 

  13. Enter the promo code from checkout. Click apply.

  14. After you successfully apply the code, refresh the page to see the extension reflected in the calendar icon.

Using Watson as a Student

Students will be granted 6-months free access to Watson. Subscriptions can be reordered one week prior to expiration with a valid WVU Login username and password.

If you have questions about using Watson in the classroom, visit IBM Watson Academic Engagements site, which provides information about unleashing the cognitive power of Watson. Watson Academic Engagement works to implement Watson assets within Academia, enabling students to create Watson applications.

IBM recommends reviewing the following IBM online courses in the order below to learn more about utilizing Watson:

  1. Machine Learning provides a broad introduction to machine learning, datamining and statistical pattern recognition.

  2. Watson Cloud Technology and Support outlines the basics of Watson Cloud technology and support.

  3. Create a Natural Language Conversation Chatbot illustrates how to use AlchemyLanguage and Conversation APIs to build a natural language chatbot that will engage with customers to provide effective customer service.

  4. Build a Support Monitoring App with Bluemix and Twilio’s IBM Watson APIs illustrates how to use AlchemyLanguage and Twilio to monitor and analyze SMS sentiment to provide enhanced support through customer insights.

Using Watson as Faculty

Faculty will be granted 12-months free access to Watson. Subscriptions can be reordered one week prior to expiration with a valid WVU Login username and password.

IBM recommends that faculty and teaching assistants begin their experience with Watson by reviewing the presentations and lab student guides on the IBM Bluemix and Watson Day webpage.