IBM Watson Health Layoffs Suggests AI Strategy Isn ’t Working

IBM Watson Health is apparently making massive cuts to its staff, in a move suggesting that its healthcare AI isn’t working. Watson Health leaders have argued that AI (which Watson Health leaders call “cognitive computing”) as the solution to many of the healthcare industry’s problems. IBM pitched Watson technology as a revolutionary tool which could get to the root of difficult medical problems. Over time, however, it’s begun to look like this wasn’t going to happen, at least for the present. Among other high-profile goofs, IBM Watson has struggled with applying the supercomputing tech to oncology, which was one of its main goals. Now IBM Watson Health has slashed up to 70% of its staff, according to sources speaking to The Register. The site reports that most of the layoffs are cutting staff within companies IBM has brought in an effort to build out its healthcare credentials. These include medical data company Truven, acquired in 2016 for $2.6 billion, medical imaging firm Merge, bought in 2015 for $1 billion and healthcare management firm Phytel, the site reports. The cuts reflect a major strategic shift for Watson Health, which was one of IBM’s flagship divisions until recently. Having invested heavily in businesses that might have helped it dominate the health IT world, it now appears to be rethinking it’s all in approach. That being said, no one has suggested that IBM Watson Health will disappear in a poof of smoke. IBM corporate leaders seem dedica...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Chatbots EHR Electronic Health Record Electronic Medical Record EMR Health Care Healthcare Healthcare AI HealthCare IT Mobile Apps Mobile Health Care Cognitive Computing DeepMind Health Google IBM Watson Health IBM Watson Hea Source Type: blogs