Foggy mind? Call COGNIFOG
A few years back, I wrote an article that was just a little bit critical of Gartner's Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2022 titled Who writes this shit? The report boiled down to a compilation of trendy buzzwords with no meaning. This week, I was reminded of this article when visiting a website called COGNIFOG. Before we begin, here is an instructional video for how to pronounce that.
What is COGNIFOG? In the words of its creators: 'AI-empowered Edge Cloud Continuum for self-aware cognitive computing environments'. That's what I call cognitive fog.
If you are not sure what it means, you are not alone. You can imagine what AI is, but now in its new role of empowerment of the Edge Cloud Continuum.... To help figure out what the last three words could possibly mean, I found this bit of wisdom on the Internet: 'the symbiotic relationship between cloud computing, edge computing and IoT is reflected on the term cloud/edge/IoT computing continuum...'
Riddles piled on riddles. About that last part, the 'self-aware cognitive computing environments' – you have to go to Google Scholar to retrieve about 20,000 relevant articles.
While still on the home page, you learn about objectives. There are 4, but to keep you from complete nonsense overload, I'll list only two of them:
To build the architectural foundations of the Cognitive-Fog, an open, flexible, adaptive and modular edge-cloud continuum framework.
To empower the Cognitive-Fog with advance load balancing and energy management capabilities to significantly reduce energy consumption and cost.
I would suggest that you memorize these sentences and during your next meeting you randomly use any portion of them. Make sure that you phrase them as a question: 'Is this solution truly flexible, adaptive and modular?' is a good example.
Yes, the word FOG is a well-chosen word.
While browsing the site, you come across sections like 'Background & Motivation' where you get exposed to even more truisms. Here’s one: 'COGNIFOG will provide a software solution as a Cognitive Fog Framework (Cognitive-Fog) for monitoring and analyzing data flows along the IoT-edge-cloud continuum, enabling the processing of data closer to its source and providing real-time responses for many smart IoT applications. This will ultimately improve privacy, security, reliability, resilience, and safety, increasing trust in the technology.'
At some point, you start wondering what is really going on here. Why would anyone go to this extent to build a website with so much nonsense?
That becomes more apparent when you land on the pages dealing with Concept & Methodology and Consortium. That's when you realize that within the Cognitive-Fog framework are companies providing the technology blocks for building any foggy solution. Do you need a connection between AI-based Continuous Deployment and Data collection, AI and decision making? Rest assured that Siemens has a solution. Or do you need an Edge resources meta-model? Atos is here to help you.
Next, look at all of the use cases, where you can find all the information you need to know to fully appreciate the awesomeness of this project. An example of a project like this is Automated Edge-Cloud Continuum for smart manufacturing, which aims to improve shopfloor efficiency by introducing flexible mobile dual-arm robots controlled by a flexible IT infrastructure. This will optimize the use of computing resources in terms of throughput, costs, and energy savings.
All the above is mildly entertaining, until you find out that COGNIFOG received 5 million EUR from the European Union and the consortium partners for the next 3 years to work on this.
You, my dear reader, must be now wondering how to create something like COGNIFOG and get money from the government.
That's why we have AI!
I went to ChatGPT and asked for help:
Get me suggestions for a name for a company which will build an open, flexible, adaptive and modular edge-cloud continuum framework.
ChatGPT’s answer:
FlexEdge, ContinuCloud, ModuEdge, AdaptiCloud, OpenConnect, EdgeMod, ContinuFlex, FlexiCloud, ModuCloud, AdaptEdge, OpenFlex, CloudContinuum, EdgeFlex, ModuContinuum, AdaptiEdge
Next request:
Write me a government proposal to build the architectural foundations of an open, flexible, adaptive and modular edge-cloud continuum framework
ChatGPT’s answer:
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
[Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Date]
[Recipient's Name]
[Recipient's Position]
[Government Agency/Organization]
[Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
Subject: Proposal to Build Architectural Foundations of an Open, Flexible, Adaptive, and Modular Edge-Cloud Continuum Framework
Dear [Recipient's Name],
We are pleased to submit this proposal on behalf of [Your Company] to build the architectural foundations of an open, flexible, adaptive, and modular edge-cloud continuum framework for [Government Agency/Organization]. As a leading technology solutions provider, we recognize the critical importance of establishing a robust and future-proof infrastructure to harness the potential of edge computing and cloud technologies.
Our proposed framework will revolutionize the way [Government Agency/Organization] manages and leverages data, enabling seamless integration between edge devices and cloud platforms while delivering unparalleled scalability, agility, and responsiveness. Key aspects of our proposal include:
Open Architecture: We will develop an open framework that promotes interoperability, vendor-agnostic solutions, and adherence to industry standards, fostering collaboration and avoiding vendor lock-in.
Flexibility and Adaptability: Our framework will be designed with flexibility and adaptability in mind, allowing for easy integration with existing systems and accommodating future technological advancements and requirements.
Modular Design: We will adopt a modular approach, enabling the addition or removal of components to meet specific needs, enhance scalability, and promote cost-effective expansion.
Edge-Cloud Continuum Integration: Our framework will seamlessly bridge the gap between edge computing and cloud environments, optimizing data processing, storage, and analytics across the continuum for enhanced performance and efficiency.
Security and Privacy: We will prioritize robust security measures, ensuring data integrity, confidentiality, and compliance with relevant regulations. Privacy protection mechanisms will also be implemented to safeguard sensitive information.
Expert Consultation and Support: Our team of experienced professionals will provide comprehensive consultation and ongoing support throughout the implementation process and beyond, ensuring successful deployment and efficient operation of the framework.
We believe that our expertise in cutting-edge technologies, commitment to innovation, and dedication to delivering tailored solutions align perfectly with the objectives and vision of [Government Agency/Organization]. We are confident that our proposed architectural foundations will provide a solid groundwork for the advancement of your digital infrastructure.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss this proposal further and provide additional information as needed. Thank you for considering our proposal. We look forward to the possibility of partnering with [Government Agency/Organization] to build a transformative edge-cloud continuum framework.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title/Position]
[Your Company]
[Contact Information]
We get flooded by news about the danger of AI, yet at the same time we are capable of producing utter nonsense on our own. We are told that AI will take over. Explain to me how it can get any 'I' from learning from the COGNIFOG website. The danger is not AI, it is our own stupidity. And that's the recurrent pattern.