Kamran Khan
“Just make it Work Like Google.”
KMWorld 2022 concluded a few weeks ago and it was great to see and be seen with colleagues again for the live event, which you can read about in our blog recapping the highlights. I also had the privilege to present a morning keynote at the event on how to build Google-like search experiences using search engines, knowledge graphs, and vector search (or extractive answers). You can watch the full keynote below in 15 minutes over a cup of coffee.
In preparing for the keynote, I thought about how much had changed in the search industry in just the two or three years that we have been trying to muddle our way through and out of the pandemic. How terms like “AI”, “Machine Learning”, and “Vector Search” now are as much part of the search vocabulary as “Facets” and “Search Engine.”
And how all these new terms relate to technologies that many (most) of us are still very unfamiliar with. We are not even exactly sure sometimes how these technologies generate the results they do.
AI Results Can Surprise – in Good and Bad Ways
Take for example a story related by Gary Klein, the cognitive psychologist and keynote speaker that preceded me.
In 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue computer defeated world chess champion Gary Kasparov, two games to one with three draws. The frustrated Kasparov tried to belittle Deep Blue, saying it was “as intelligent as an alarm clock.” But this was chess – a game with very strict rules and a demonstration of a very narrow type of “artificial intelligence.” How would an AI do in a more human-like endeavor?
That test came in 2011, when IBM’s Watson famously beat its human competitors in a Jeopardy challenge. A monumental feat. Nevertheless, Watson flubbed one Final Jeopardy question, leaving us scratching our heads.
The category was U.S Cities and the Jeopardy answer was, “Its largest airport is named for a World War II hero; it’s second largest, for a World War II battle.”
The answer was “Chicago” (for O’Hare and Midway airports). Watson’s answer? “Toronto”
You can read more about the experts trying to decipher why Watson’s answer was so bad. But the reality is, AI still has the reputation of being a bit of a black box that sometimes amazes, and sometimes fails miserably.
KMWorld 2022 Keynote: Key Takeaway
At Pureinsights, we’ve always taken a very pragmatic approach to the application of technologies in general, and that includes AI. I believe that Google’s approach to search has taken a similar tact, which is why we believe that a Google-like search experience is certainly achievable for everyone.
That was the purpose of my KMWorld 2022 keynote. To explain and demystify how this all works. Because, in the end, a great search experience is what our users expect and deserve.
If I missed you at KMWorld or if you have any questions, please feel free to CONTACT ME.
In the meantime, I wish you and your families a wonderful Holiday Season.
– Kam
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