It looks like scientists have finally designed a computer that can beat nerds at their own game. No, not chess…they’ve had computers for that for years. And no, not collecting comic books. They’ll never be able to make a computer that can understand the slightest thing about Alan Moore.
No, they’ve finally made a computer that can compete on the ultimate nerdfest: Jeopardy.
IBM’s Watson supercomputer is designed as a question answering system, which explains how it’s already defeated several opponents in mock Jeopardy games that IBM set up for it and the producers of Jeopardy have agreed to have it compete this fall. The only question is: who gets the prize money if it wins? It better not be friggin’ Skynet or we’re all doomed.
Video of the computer in action after the jump.
[New York Times via engadget]
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This video is a good example of how I feel when I get an Excel formula to work without using Help.
@ 0:48, “WATSON is a question-answering system.”
I think IBM would have more success with WATSON if they realized that for Jeopardy! they need an answer-questioning system.
“Watson, you have control…” In three months the world will be saying that. GD nerds.