AI, Blockchain, and Quantum Computing Technology Announcement
Ranked #1 in patent applications in the U.S. for 26 years
Launch of the 21st Century Skills Apprenticeship Coalition


At CES 2019, IBM announced innovative technologies related to AI, blockchain, and quantum computing and explained the changes these new technologies will bring to business and life.
Meanwhile, IBM has set goals for how businesses and consumers should use technology. As the world becomes increasingly data-dependent, one of the areas where IBM can best demonstrate its expertise is in leveraging data to transform people’s daily lives.

In fact, IBM technology touches the daily lives of billions of consumers. Today, 90 percent of the world's top banks, nine of the top 10 energy companies, 40 of the top 50 retailers, and 92 of the top 100 healthcare organizations use IBM technology. IBM processes data on approximately 90 percent of all credit card transactions and more than 4 billion airline passengers each year. It also processes 75 percent of the world's business data.

For years, IBM has emphasized that data is the greatest natural resource the world knows, with more than 2.5 quintillion bytes of new data being created every day. IBM explains that although we live in an era of data deluge, with massive amounts of data being generated every day, it is still not enough.

In fact, the amount of data utilized by humans is only 1% of all data produced in the world. IBM explains that if there is technology that can detect and signal data collection in real time, it will be possible to see countless invisible signals (data) constantly coming and going. This is like detecting minor changes in language habits that are suspected of mental illness, or the slight creaking of an old bridge.

IBM also explains that data has been utilized in various fields surrounding humanity, but there has been no technology to help people easily recognize that data is being utilized.

Here are the major new announcements IBM made at CES 2019 in various fields, including AI and quantum computing.


'More than 9,000 patent applications in 2018, No. 1 in the US for 26 consecutive years
IBM filed 9,100 technology patents in 2018, making it the top U.S. patent filer for 26 years. More than half of the patents were related to AI, cloud computing, security, and quantum computing.

In the AI field, 1,600 AI-related patents were obtained in 2018 alone, including AI that can converse with people about complex topics, AI that helps cars drive more safely, and AI that prevents lake water pollution. In addition, it has recorded more than 1,400 technology patents in the security field, including AI-based security systems to prevent voice phishing, and has also obtained more than 2,000 patents in the field of cloud computing-related technologies.


Launch of AI platform that debates with humans
At this year's CES, IBM unveiled 'Speech by Crowd,' the world's first cloud-based AI platform that can have meaningful discussions with humans.

Developed based on the core AI technology of 'Project Debater', an AI model that first debated with humans in June of last year, this platform is a model that collects various opinions on topics that can be debated for and against, automatically constructs persuasive arguments, and derives practical insights.


World's first commercial-purpose quantum computing system unveiled
IBM has unveiled the world's first commercial quantum computing system, the IBM Q System One, and announced that it will open the IBM Q Quantum Computing Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, within this year.
The world's first quantum computing center will provide IBM Q Network members with access to high-performance quantum computing systems for commercial purposes.It's connected.

The IBM Q Network is a global community of Fortune 500 companies, research institutions, and startups working with IBM to advance the field of quantum computing and explore practical applications in business and science.

At CES this year, IBM announced that global energy company ExxonMobil is the first energy group to join the IBM Q network.


High-resolution weather forecasting system announced
IBM has announced the IBM Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System (GRAF), which provides the most accurate forecast of weather conditions in many regions around the world.
The Weather Company, acquired by IBM, has announced the latest AI-based weather forecasting model. This will allow it to predict small-scale weather changes that occur locally, such as in Africa, beyond the current forecast information limited to some advanced countries such as the US and Europe.

GRAF, a crowdsourced model, gathers information from deep data that has not yet been tapped, such as barometric pressure measurements from sensors attached to mobile phones or aircraft used around the world.

The weather data collected in this way is analyzed using a supercomputer based on IBM POWER9 servers. This provides a resolution of less than 3 km, which is more than three times better than the previous model that provided prediction values based on a distance of 10 to 15 kilometers.

In addition, unlike before when information was updated every 6 to 12 hours, it is expected to help various fields such as aviation and agriculture cope with weather changes by updating new data every hour.


AI-powered diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease
IBM has partnered with the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) to use AI and machine learning technologies to predict the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease and find more effective treatments.
MJFF receives data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), an observational study of patients with Parkinson's disease to obtain long-term, diverse data.

IBM plans to develop an AI model that can suggest effective treatments based on data from Parkinson's disease patients. Last December, the company also unveiled a fingernail sensor that uses data and AI to detect signs of Parkinson's disease such as nail deformation or subtle tremors in the fingers.


Launch of the 21st Century Skills Apprenticeship Coalition
IBM and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) have announced the launch of the 21st Century Apprenticeship Coalition.

The alliance was established to bridge the skills gap between job seekers and the industry and to foster highly capable talent in the rapidly changing technology era. The alliance supports practical training courses in fast-growing IT fields such as software engineering, cybersecurity, data science, and data analytics.

IBM, along with global companies including Toyota, Walmart, Bosch, Sprint, Ford and Canon, will offer more than 450 training courses annually across the United States over the next five years.