IBM supercomputer 'Watson' to challenge 'Jeopardy' stars

Advertisement
By Brian Stelter, New York Times | Updated: 5 June 2012 02:22 IST
Highlights
  • An IBM supercomputer system named after the company’s founder, Thomas J Watson senior, is almost ready for a televised test: A bout of questioning on the quiz show "Jeopardy".
IBM supercomputer 'Watson' to challenge 'Jeopardy' stars
An IBM supercomputer system named after the company's founder, Thomas J Watson senior, is almost ready for a televised test: A bout of questioning on the quiz show "Jeopardy".

IBM and the producers of "Jeopardy" will announce on Tuesday that the computer, "Watson," will face the two most successful players in "Jeopardy" history, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, in three episodes that will be broadcast February 14-16, 2011.

For IBM, "Watson" is an important test of artificial intelligence. Scientists there have been talking to "Jeopardy" about a man vs. machine match-up for the better part of two years. "If the program beats the humans, the field of artificial intelligence will have made a leap forward," John Markoff of The New York Times wrote in April 2009.

In a news release, the companies said the format of "Jeopardy" was "the ultimate challenge" for "Watson" because "the game's clues involve analyzing subtle meaning, irony, riddles and other complexities in which humans excel and computers traditionally do not."

IBM and the show's producers have agreed that $1 million will be on the line. If "Watson" wins, all of the money will be donated to charity. If one of the humans wins, half of the money will be donated.

"Jeopardy" producers said the computer qualified for the show by passing the same test that human contestants must pass. Lately "Watson" has been playing games with former "Jeopardy" contestants for practice. IBM will share some of the highlights of those games on its Web site in the coming weeks.

For "Jeopardy," which has been on television for nearly 50 years, the supercomputer match-up is an opportunity to gain attention. It's an endorsement of sorts for the format -- as Harry Friedman, the show's executive producer, put it in a news release, "We're thrilled that Jeopardy is considered a benchmark of ultimate knowledge."

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: IBM, Jeopardy, supercomputer
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Vivo X200 FE Global Launch Confirmed; Design Teased
  2. Vivo Y400 Pro 5G India Launch Date Confirmed; Design Revealed
  3. Poco F7 Launch Date, Price in India, Design and Key Features Leaked Online
  4. Hisense U7Q Mini-LED TV Launched in India With These Features
  5. Oppo Reno 14 5G Series, Watch X2 Mini, Enco Buds 3, Pad SE to Launch Globally
  6. OnePlus Nord 5 Series, OnePlus Buds 4 to Launch in India on This Date
  7. Tecno Pova 7 5G Series Confirmed to Launch in India Soon
  8. Oppo K13x 5G India Launch Date, Price Range and Key Features Revealed
  9. Xiaomi Pad 7S Pro Launch Date, Key Specifications Revealed Ahead of Launch
  1. Bitget Partners UNICEF Unit to Expand Blockchain Training Across India, Other Countries 
  2. WhatsApp Reportedly Working on Ability to Scan Documents on Android Smartphones
  3. ElevenLabs Expands Eleven V3 Text-to-Speech Model With Support for 41 New Languages
  4. Vivo T4 Lite 5G India Launch Confirmed; Battery Capacity, Price Range Teased
  5. TikTok Pushes Deeper Into AI-Generated Video Ads With New Tools
  6. Apple Risks Fresh EU Charge Sheet Over App Store Curbs
  7. The Witcher 4 Will Target 60 FPS on Consoles, but Series S Will Be 'Extremely Challenging' Says CD Projekt Red
  8. Oppo Reno 14 5G Series Global Launch Teased Alongside Watch X2 Mini, Enco Buds 3 and Pad SE
  9. Microsoft Begins Testing AI Agents in Windows 11, Brings Option to Share Recall Snapshots in Europe
  10. watchOS 26 to Bring Control Center Customisation Options with User-Defined Toggles
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.