Google I/O 2016: Game of Brains – May the Smartest Algorithm Win!

B. Shimmin

Summary Bullets:

• Machine learning (ML) has historically driven value within analytics projects, helping companies to build better predictive data models through iterative learning.
• But, as showcased at Google I/O last week, an emerging set of experience-driven ML APIs points to enterprise use cases that both build upon and grow beyond the confines of big data.

Dear Google: What have you done with my favorite trade show? What has happened to Google I/O? Sure, the change in venue from Moscone West to the Shoreline Amphitheater was huge. But, that speaks to Google’s collegiate beginnings and stance on corporate responsibility. After all, the Shoreline venue was built to resemble the Grateful Dead’s Steal Your Face logo and rests atop a landfill. That makes sense. What I find jarring, however, is the company’s shift away from sexy reference hardware and new Android OS sweets toward more smoky, heady, cloudy ideas like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).