I'm an MD, and I dabble in programming and AI/DL. While I don't really care much about Watson in particular, the pervasiveness of the "enter healthcare = death" equation is worrisome to me. And it should worry you, too.<p>There's a lot of potential for good applications of this type of tech in healthcare, but the barriers to actually getting it off the ground strangle it in the crib.
IBM is a confusing one. For a while I was getting IBM powered blockchain ads coming through my Instagram feed, and I seem to remember stopping by their booth at Dreamforce a few years ago where Watson would help determine what candy they'd give you (or something like that). One thing I'd be interested to know is what they actually <i>do</i> vs. the marketing spin of what they do.
I was hired by an acquired Watson Health division a little over a year ago, and after seeing the very confusing story of how IBM expects to grow and strengthen these disparate companies, I'm not surprised. I'm also saddened that some of my former colleagues were among those laid off.
IBM seems expert at stealth layoffs. Possibly to avoid lawsuits?<p><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/federal-watchdog-launches-investigation-of-age-bias-at-ibm" rel="nofollow">https://www.propublica.org/article/federal-watchdog-launches...</a>
Is there a full breakdown of scope anywhere? I know there have been major complaints about Watson Health before, but I still can't tell if this marks a retreat from the program, or just a harsher-than-usual instance of the sort of layoffs pretty common for acquisitions.
> “The message was that there are about 7,000 people in Watson Health today and this was a cost-cutting exercise. 90 days’ notice with 30 days’ severance.”<p>If accurate, that severance benefit is just shameful, and simply not good enough from a large corporation. Absolutely no excuse for that degree of unjustifiable, unmitigated greed to offer so little when possibly damaging lives, especially for older workers who may face IBM-like ageism elsewhere now too.<p>Hard fought career advice I’ve learned: <i>always negotiate adequate severance.</i><p>It should be a heck of a lot more than 1 month, even if you’re a junior employee. Just turn down jobs if they won’t give substantial severance agreements. Unless you’re in dire straits & have to take the job. Otherwise, don’t do it. That employer will not consider the impact that some surprise layoff has on you. Get it in writing, up front in the negotiation, and don’t waste time with firms that won’t offer it. Not worth it.
Not surprising. Many “tech” companies enter the field with arrogance, thinking of course they can do health better. They unfortunately often have no comprehension of the regulatory regimes for the markets they enter and therefore the projects are doomed to failure before they start.
No need for employees when Watson can do it all. Unbeknownst to these people, they renamed it Watson Health due to the fact Watson is going to run the entire division itself. Amazing! The future of AI is finally here! Watson has spent the last few years learning all these peoples' jobs.