Unlocking the Power Within: The Synergy Between Cognitive Data and Big Data

With the rise of the digital era, the ‘hype’ around Cognitive Data and Big Data is moving closer and closer towards reality and actionnable innovation. While Big Data has been characterized by its volume and variety for some time, cognitive data adds an element that is more humane – data from the way people think, reason and make decisions.

The comparative analysis of Cognitive Data and Big Data provides an exceptional perspective. Classical big data analytics can analyse giant pools of structured and unstructured data from sensors, websites and transaction records. Cognitive information on the other hand, captures user actions, moods, manners of speech, and context knowledge. Together, they provide not only a comprehensive view of what’s happening, but also why it’s happening.

Industries such as healthcare, education and security particularly benefit from that combination. For example, education systems may be able to evaluate learning patterns from student level big data, as well as dynamically adjust teaching styles using cognitive signals. Similarly, for smart city planning, with both traffic flow (big data) and human journey (cognitive data) data, urban design becomes more intuitive.

What makes this combination unique is that it can continue to learn. As more data becomes available, so do systems that combine both Cognitive and Big Data, giving further clarity and targeted solutions. This enables smart systems that can be proactive, rather than simply reactive.

But with great power, comes great responsibility. Ethical concerns have to be considered, especially when decoding cognitive information, which involves private acts and sentiments. Transparency, consent and data governance are essential to maintain the trust of the public.

In a data-drenched world, those who can see the patterns within the noise — and meaning within the data — stand to hold a competitive edge. Bottom Line Cognitive Data and Big Data aren’t just tools of the trade–they’re becoming the future of a world based learning, instinct, reiterative approaches.