Jeopardy! The IBM Challenge

[AQT]

So for those of you who watch or have heard of the game show called Jeopardy! and are interested, starting Monday of next week (February 14), IBM's AI computer system known as Watson will be facing off against Jeopardy!'s two greatest champions, Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings, in a series of Jeopardy! matches. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm pretty excited to see how it's all going to play through and turn out, especially with Watson, hopefully with most of his bugs worked out.

(Here's a link to the TV promotion.)

I had just got done with watching the premiere of this NOVA documentary on my local PBS station, and I have to say, Watson sure is one sophisticated work of technology, not to mention comedic as well.

Overall, even if you don't enjoy Jeopardy!, I really think these three episodes are a must-watch. Stay tuned for four to five more days.

(Note: I don't know about other countries, but in the States, Jeopardy! is usually shown on ABC channels.)

[Lozza]

Wow I love Jeopardy, I dunno but I Australia I've been watching that show since I was 5, do they have new people now?

[GangsterJawa]

(Note: I don't know about other countries, but in the States, Jeopardy! is usually shown on ABC channels.)

NBC is an ABC channel?

[AQT]

I didn't say that, and the key word is usually. I don't know the airing contracts between these companies; I only observe. In SoCal, specifically Los Angeles and Orange Counties, Jeopardy! is aired on local ABC 7.

@Lozza: I know they are going to have a computer as a contestant. That's new, right?

[GangsterJawa]

I didn't say that, and the key word is usually. I don't know the airing contracts between these companies; I only observe. In SoCal, specifically Los Angeles and Orange Counties, Jeopardy! is aired on local ABC 7.

@Lozza: I know they are going to have a computer as a contestant. That's new, right?

Eh. All I know is that all up the Eastern seaboard wherever I've watched it it's been on NBC, whether in Maryland, SC, or Tennessee.

[AQT]

Okay, so day one of the IBM Challenge aired today. I must say, it was a pretty close match between the three contestants.

Hidden/Spoiler:

Surprisingly, Ken Jennings came in last place!

For those of you who didn't catch it on TV, there are the following links on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLdkJpAtt1I (Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXH7jn2AHAw (Part 2)

Gee, I'm quite dumbfounded as to why no one here on Gametoast has shown any interest in this supercomputer. Just think of it as an extremely early version of C3PO's brain. Hopefully, that somehow better explains it...

[Jendo7]

Good show. Pretty close match between Brad, and Watson. Actually reminded me of HAL 2000 from 2001. Even sounded similar.

[skelltor]

I liked the first match unfortinatly I won't be able to watch the next two due to afterschool activitys.

[GangsterJawa]

That was really cool.

[Eggman]

I really wish I had time to watch these matches. I enjoy Jeopardy, and this definitely sounds like a fun challenge.

[guru]

im guessing watson has wifi and can secretly do voice to text and google search then spit out a text to voice reply to the answer? lol

[AQT]

@guru: Haha, not really. Watson actually can't see or hear. The questions are sent to him the instant Alex begins to read them in the form of text. And he relies on his own database of previously downloaded knowledge, so no Internet there.

Anyway, so here is day two and the conclusion of round one on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHhDLUVAtqU (Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR2_M8kL_3o (Part 2)

Hidden/Spoiler:

Watson is way too good and hilarious in several moments.

I suspect day three/round two will go uninterrupted without background information about Watson, not that I'm complaining.

[GangsterJawa]

@guru: Haha, not really. Watson actually can't see or hear. The questions are sent to him the instant Alex begins to read them in the form of text. And he relies on his own database of previously downloaded knowledge, so no Internet there.

Anyway, so here is day two and the conclusion of round one on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHhDLUVAtqU (Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR2_M8kL_3o (Part 2)

Hidden/Spoiler:

Watson is way too good and hilarious in several moments.

I suspect day three/round two will go uninterrupted without background information about Watson, not that I'm complaining.

I have to wonder how he managed to get Toronto, on a US cities question. Perhaps Watson has a sense of humor.

[Grev]

I think hes trying to emulate humanity, like how a person can be an expert in one column and a total failure in another. That or it's a bug.

OBEY SKYNET

[ACEwithSPADES]

just saw the first and i loled that watson didn't know who voldemort was

[Ping]

Watson didn't do as well tonight, but he still won with a total score. Also, that Brad guy said Lancaster, PA, was his hometown; that's about a 30-40 minute drive from where I live.

I also lol'd at what Ken Jennings wrote under his Final Jeopardy answer.

[GangsterJawa]

Watson didn't do as well tonight, but he still won with a total score. Also, that Brad guy said Lancaster, PA, was his hometown; that's about a 30-40 minute drive from where I live.

I also lol'd at what Ken Jennings wrote under his Final Jeopardy answer.

I submit to the computer Overlords...

I did too.

[AQT]

Aw, thanks for spoiling the ending, GangsterJawa...

Here's day three and the conclusion of the challenge for those who missed it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2_fM6e9AiA (Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHGu0-p-3QQ (Part 2)

Hidden/Spoiler:

IBM has done it again! Both Ken and Brad competed very well, but they were no match for the supercomputer. I'm really looking forward to IBM's next big project.

[-_-]

Hidden/Spoiler:

IBM has done it again! Both Ken and Brad competed very well, but they were no match for the supercomputer. I'm really looking forward to IBM's next big project.

Hidden/Spoiler:

Skynet.

[GangsterJawa]

Aw, thanks for spoiling the ending, GangsterJawa...

Me? It was Ping who spoiled the ending...