IBM's Watson on Jeopardy.

[NickyJ]

In case you haven't heard, IBM's Watson is on Jeopardy competing against Ken Jennings and Brad Ruther, and will be finishing his three day run today.

A question to the anybody who has been watching it:

Do you think this is as stupid as I do? This is basically a contest between who can do a Google search faster. It can't see or hear, so the questions have to be sent to it via text messages. Also, it doesn't have to push a button to make it's buzzer go off. And they think this is a huge leap in computer technology.

 

[warpus]

Do you think this is as stupid as I do? This is basically a contest between who can do a Google search faster. It can't see or hear, so the questions have to be sent to it via text messages. Also, it doesn't have to push a button to make it's buzzer go off. And they think this is a huge leap in computer technology.

DUDE

1. Watson does NOT have access to the internet
2. Watson DOES have a physical device with which he buzzes in
3. A computer being programmed to understand the MEANING behind human language is a pretty impressive accomplishment.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Way to hugely oversimplify the real challenges involved in this quite impressive task.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=10223530&postcount=124

 

[shadowplay]

The PBS "Nova" team happened to produce a very fine documentary on Watson's road to hegemony. The "Nova" producers, Michael Bicks and Julia Cort, then helpfully answered questions on the "Nova" Web page about the IBM Challenge.

They revealed that Watson's performance wasn't quite as slick as it might have appeared in the precious few minutes of screen time we were offered.

Indeed, according to Bicks, Watson had serious performance issues.

"He crashed a bunch of times," he said. "It took over four hours to tape the show--most of the delays were due to crashes."

Though I know every game show has its pauses, glitches, retakes, makeup snafus, and sneezes, it does seem that the presentation of Watson's smack-down performance of last night hides a brittle constitution.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20032244-71.html#ixzz1E9YLE7bs

 

[classical_hero]

It is no patch on human intelligence since all they do it is by sheer brute force, by doing so many more calculation per minute than a human can, but not doing it the way a human can organise the needed data as efficiently as we can.

 

[Japanrocks12]

Since I play quizbowl, this topic has special significance for me. Obviously a supercomputer with a trillion encyclopedias in its memory can beat any player of any skill at any quizzing competition. That is a given. But I support Watson being a Jeopardy! contestant, because that show is already so flawed that I can legitimately revel in the lulz.

 

[MeteorPunch]

I want to see it compete on a show where there's no possibility of the whole thing being staged. If real, it's extremely impressive because of the voice recognition and language comprehension.

 

[warpus]

It is no patch on human intelligence since all they do it is by sheer brute force, by doing so many more calculation per minute than a human can, but not doing it the way a human can organise the needed data as efficiently as we can.

What most people don't seem to understand is that the impressive thing here is the computer understanding the question, not providing the correct answer.

 

[Theige]

But I support Watson being a Jeopardy! contestant, because that show is already so flawed that I can legitimately revel in the lulz.

Dude, Jeopardy is awesome.

 

[Japanrocks12]

Dude, Jeopardy is awesome.

Yeah, not getting to show that you know more than the other guy and having it come down to the luck of whoever's reflexes are faster that day where some serious cash is at stake is totally awesome, guys!

I'll give you a free pass since you have never gotten to play quizbowl.

 

[DJNotNice]

Watson won. I have to admit that I chuckled at Ken Jennings' note in his Final Jeopardy response, "I, for one, welcome our new computer overlords."

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

I have to agree with with Warpus. A question(answer) 'This is the capital of Assyria' is not that impressive but many jeopardy questions involve word play or are punny which is something that humans excel at but is difficult for computers.

 

[Zelig]

It is no patch on human intelligence since all they do it is by sheer brute force, by doing so many more calculation per minute than a human can, but not doing it the way a human can organise the needed data as efficiently as we can.

I'm not sure you realize what "sheer brute force" means in this context.

 

[NetGear]

Am I the only one who finds op ironic. "Dude anyone can google its so easy." And gets all the facts wrong.

Implied facepalm indeed.

 

[SuperJay]

Am I the only one who finds op ironic. "Dude anyone can google its so easy." And gets all the facts wrong.

Implied facepalm indeed.

Well, anyone CAN google. The fact that the OP did not even bother to try is just extra lulz.

 

[Dachs]

hey look jpn said stuff in this thread

welp, looks like I don't have anything to do here

so, um

yay?

 

[Japanrocks12]

hey look jpn said stuff in this thread

welp, looks like I don't have anything to do here

so, um

yay?

There are a few other things to be said, such as how poorly Trebek treats his contestants (although that one is sort of par for the course for game shows) and how liberally he makes judgments taking away or awarding players points after the fact.

 

[NickyJ]

I want to see it compete on a show where there's no possibility of the whole thing being staged. If real, it's extremely impressive because of the voice recognition and language comprehension.

But it doesn't have voice recognition. To quote Alex Trebek, "It's deaf." It gets the message in the form of a text-message. You can read it for yourself.

What most people don't seem to understand is that the impressive thing here is the computer understanding the question, not providing the correct answer.

Google understands my questions. Why don't we all start cheering for Google? In fact, let's put Google on Jeopardy!

Am I the only one who finds op ironic. "Dude anyone can google its so easy." And gets all the facts wrong.

Implied facepalm indeed.

Mega implied facepalm for the quoted post. They are using about six refrigerator sized supercomputers. That can store a lot of data. It's basically Google, only it's stored on the computer itself.

Also, the humans are never given a chance to press their buzzers. If it actually pressed a buzzer, it would take away some of the advantage.

 

[mechaerik]

Also, the humans are never given a chance to press their buzzers. If it actually pressed a buzzer, it would take away some of the advantage.

From your own link:

Spoiler :

Watson sends a signal to a mechanical thumb, which is mounted on exactly the same type of Jeopardy! buzzer used by human contestants. Just like Ken and Brad, Watson must physically depress a button to buzz in.

Watson’s buzzing is not instantaneous. For some clues he may not complete the question answering computation in time to make the decision to buzz in. For all clues, even if he does have an answer and confidence ready in time, he still has to respond to the signal and physically depress the button.

The best human contestants don’t wait for, but instead anticipate when Trebek will finish reading a clue. They time their “buzz” for the instant when the last word leaves Trebek’s mouth and the “Buzzer Enable” light turns on. Watson cannot anticipate. He can only react to the enable signal. While Watson reacts at an impressive speed, humans can and do buzz in faster than his best possible reaction time.

 

[MeteorPunch]

But it doesn't have voice recognition. To quote Alex Trebek, "It's deaf." It gets the message in the form of a text-message. You can read it for yourself.

Well that makes it much less impressive. I don't think it comprehends language either, it could do something like this:

Trebek: "This city was founded by dutch colonists and referred to as the big apple."

The computer does a Google-type of search for key words. "This city was founded by dutch colonists and referred to as the big apple."

Watson: ...New York City.

That's probably an easy example, but it would be "brute force speed," as Classical Hero said, and not actual comprehension.