Where Does IBM Research Get Ideas? Open Mikes and Interns

That's what Jeff Welser, lab director of IBM Research-Almaden told me on a recent visit. Given that IBM's Watson technology was initially a system designed to play the TV game show Jeopardy, but is now a general-purpose machine learning system thought to be the fastest-growing part of IBM's business, it's not surprising that the company is hoping another wild seed will bear profitable fruit. But where do these seeds come from? Welser told me that research projects often originate from open mike sessions, held once a year. These are serious events and, at the same time, entertainment along the lines of Shark Tank meets American Idol.