ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Cognitive computing

Cognitive computing is like having a really smart robot in your head, who can think and learn like a human.

Just like you, your computer can gather and process information, but it has limitations because it can only understand straightforward commands. With cognitive computing, computer systems use advanced technology like machine learning and artificial intelligence to help them think, reason and make decisions like humans.

Imagine you're playing a game of "I Spy" with your robot friend. You give it a clue like "something furry," and the robot can use cognitive computing to understand what that means. It will search through its memory of different objects, and identify which ones fit the description. It might consider things like the color, texture or shape of different objects to guess what you're looking at.

Cognitive computing can be useful for a lot of different things like helping doctors diagnose medical conditions or helping businesses make better decisions based on data. It can also be used to create intelligent virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, who can help you answer questions and complete tasks using natural language.

Overall, cognitive computing is a really cool technology that helps computers think and learn like humans do!