Having defined a vision it calls “cognitive computing,” IBM Corp. is seeking to put some structure around it with a certification program for developers who use the artificial intelligence platform.

IBM says its Watson Application Developer Certification is intended to “help developers distinguish and validate their skills as well as connect with companies looking to leverage their unique talent,” meaning that it’s as much a job-training and recruitment initiative as a credential of mastery. “The developers who are driving much of this invention are bringing to life what’s possible with artificial intelligence, machine learning and other new technologies that make up one of the most exciting new areas in tech history – cognitive computing,” IBM writes in a blog post scheduled to be published today.

IBM is racing to maintain a leadership position in a specialty area it created when Watson – then a question answering machine – vanquished the top two all-time Jeopardy! champions in a 2011 exhibition match. Since then Google, Facebook and Microsoft have open-sourced their machine-learning libraries and artificial intelligence has become both a promising technology and a political football for technology-driven job loss.

There’s no political posturing in IBM’s announcement of a certification for a technology that it has had considerable success evangelizing to the industry. Two years ago, almost no one had head of cognitive computing. Now International Data Corp. predicts that half of all developer teams will embed cognitive capabilities in their applications by 2018. “As developers continue to propel this innovation forward, we’re finding that companies are increasingly hungry for better ways to identify the best talent to build enterprise and consumer-focused cognitive solutions,” IBM writes in its blog post.

IBM has targeted Watson at developers since the early days with initiatives like Watson on Bluemix, which encourages coders to embed reasoning into their applications. The new certification program involves a series of tests that cover fundamentals of cognitive computing, use cases, the IBM Watson Developer Cloud and using Watson services in a DevOps environment. “Innovators deserve a way to measure their talent and get dialed in with organizations…that are creating industry-changing solutions with Watson and who desperately need their skills,” IBM’s blog says.

The test was developed by a panel of 20 subject-matter experts within IBM. An applicant who earns the “IBM Certified Application Developer – Watson” credential gets a digital badge that certifies his or her accomplishment. Pearson Education Inc. will administer the testing through its test centers in 175 countries. Testing will also be offered at all IBM conferences.

“We want our developers to stand out. We want them to be able to better differentiate their skills. We want the right companies to find them more easily,” IBM’s draft blog post says. As if to underline the enduring value of print, IBM also says certifications will be “printed on an ultra-fine parchment paper and officially embossed with the platinum seal of the Professional Certification Program from IBM.”

Image courtesy IBM