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We all may have read about IBM's Watson winning the Jeopardy.

Ken Jenning's wonderful article on the experience, titled "My Puny Human Brain" here -> http://www.slate.com/id/2284721/

Reading IBM's version, they indicate that they modeled the computer to think like Ken. Ken's article confirms this by his impression that the computer thought (more like processed information and decisions) like him. Never knew that they were fighting each other to find the "double jeopardy". I always thought that it was random. Never knew that it was possible to narrow it down to certain positions. Both with Ken, and with the researchers at the Medical facility in Maryland where they are collaborating on applications, they refer to this computer as a person. (While watching Jeopardy, both me and my kid were referring to the computer as a person).

From IBM
[quote]Watson, named after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson, was built by a team of IBM scientists who set out to accomplish a grand challenge ? build a computing system that rivals a human?s ability to answer questions posed in natural language with speed, accuracy and confidence. The Jeopardy! format provides the ultimate challenge because the game?s clues involve analyzing subtle meaning, irony, riddles, and other language complexities in which humans excel and computers traditionally do not.

Beyond Jeopardy!, the technology behind Watson can be adapted to solve problems and drive progress in various fields. The computer has the ability to sift through vast amounts of data and return precise answers, ranking its confidence in its answers. The technology could be applied in areas such as healthcare, to help accurately diagnose patients, to improve online self-service help desks, to provide tourists and citizens with specific information regarding cities, prompt customer support via phone, and much more.[/quote]

Are we looking at a future where this technology is more an aid for reducing error rates in information processing (by the human brains) or a threat to certain jobs that are currently not efficiently handled by humans (I am sure we all have experienced call center support that was more wasteful than useful in problem resolution)?

What differentiates good physicians from the bad ones? Is one key differentiator, their ability to diagnose with little or no error? Will the physicians of the future be mere data collection agents (collect data, per the instructions from the computer, and feed the data into the computer to derive a set of diagnosis)?

boca2blr;369848Never knew that they were fighting each other to find the "double jeopardy". I always thought that it was random. Never knew that it was possible to narrow it down to certain positions.

During the game, when one of the contestant is way behind or has less than half, they will go hunting for the clues in the 3rd and 4th row... And if, by chance, the other person bags it before the one who is searching for it, Alex usually comments that it was unfortunate that the one who was seeking it did not get that.

Sai_R2I;369849During the game, when one of the contestant is way behind or has less than half, they will go hunting for the clues in the 3rd and 4th row... And if, by chance, the other person bags it before the one who is searching for it, Alex usually comments that it was unfortunate that the one who was seeking it did not get that.

Yeah, the clue is generally hidden in a slightly tricky category. Wish I had caught this episode live..

I'm excited about Watson. It will have a range of usefulness from medicine to customer care but how would you like talking to your TV? I sure would, every time I fumble through innumerable menus, I wish I could just yell at it and it would obey..

maakolam;369898Yeah, the clue is generally hidden in a slightly tricky category. Wish I had caught this episode live..

I'm excited about Watson. It will have a range of usefulness from medicine to customer care but how would you like talking to your TV? I sure would, every time I fumble through innumerable menus, I wish I could just yell at it and it would obey..

It is good to note that this thread made you post for the first time on this forum. :) Welcome!

Thankfully, it isn't sentient. Else, it will yell back at you. :)

In the game, Watson wasn't connected to internet. Imagine, its possibilities when it is connected Online. Install a Watson terminal in every village, and they can get advice on which crop to sow, when to harvest, whom to sell, and what to price. It can self learn by reading live twitter feeds, people's facebook walls, their LinkedIn job descriptions. The possibilities are endless and scary. Teach Watson to code, and it can sift through all the sample algorithms available online, and can help itself evolve.

Watson + Social Network = SCARY

The big question is, if Machines can handle all the logic, knowledge, and decisions, then what are humans supposed to do? Follow faith and take judgment calls based on gut feel?

sid_earth;369925The big question is, if Machines can handle all the logic, knowledge, and decisions, then what are humans supposed to do? Follow faith and take judgment calls based on gut feel?

Check out expiring parking meters? :)

Part of a letter to the editor in today's newspaper:

[QUOTE]Jeopardy is in "jeopardy" (after) IBM's Watson computer program won big time over its human competitors. ... However, the day a cloud of "ones and zeros" spits out unassisted Hamlet's soliloquy, then it will be all of us who are indeed in jeopardy!

That is why every machine should be built with a demagnetize command...LOL

I guess only when we reach the stage where machines can handle all the knowledge and take decisions, we'll get to see the true potential of the human mind. Having said that, there is a lot of use for such smart machines. Whether our globe is a village or village has gone global, there is an information overload that can be best tackled using e-men.

Computers have defeated grandmasters in chess but haven't replaced them. I do not watch jeapordy and read bits and pieces and will educate myself more about it and Watson winning.