IBM's Watson Center pitches AI for everyone, from chefs to engineers

At the IBM Watson Experience Center, digital and physical worlds meet in a futuristic-looking lounge overlooking San Francisco's Financial District. "Regardless of the industry you're in, there's likely an application for AI … even as a chef," said IBM's data and AI engagement lead Euniq Nebo, as he stood before a 32-foot digital screen displaying human-size images of various professionals. A chef on the screen stepped forward and came to life. Nebo spoke of questions facing a restaurant chef, such as which cutting-edge tools to invest in, or whether to incorporate local produce into a cuisine. But IBM is betting its AI can "extract the insights" from data to help its clients stay ahead of the curve, Nebo said.