Anybody watching Watson on Jeopardy

[Gadzooks]

Those processors are impressive...

[KChiefs1]

It's making Ken Jennings & Brad Rudder look like imbeciles.

[Gadzooks]

This is not far off.
http://www.wallpaperbase.com/wallpapers/movie/terminator/terminator_2.jpg

[tk13]

It is impressive... I guess we should all be impressed that you can make a computer that can do this... but in a way I'm not. Although at this level of Jeopardy, the thing really is a button mashing contest. Ken and Brad know most of these answers... it's just can they buzz in before the robot. Some of the robot's mistakes are definitely bizarre.

[Gadzooks]

It is impressive... I guess we should all be impressed that you can make a computer that can do this... but in a way I'm not. Although at this level of Jeopardy, the thing really is a button mashing contest. Ken and Brad know most of these answers... it's just can they buzz in before the robot. Some of the robot's mistakes are definitely bizarre.

There were some strange errors and it seemed it buzzed in once it's processing was complete.
I was most amazed at the voice technology though.

[tk13]

Yeah, I guess I shouldn't be so harsh... we probably should be surprised it doesn't make more mistakes like the one at the end of the game today. I thought that was the kind of stuff it would not miss. But still, it's dominating. Brad and Ken are truly dominant on the buzzer and they just don't stand a chance.

[RealSNR]

I saw the final Jeopardy category and the answer. The syntax was probably too difficultly worded because that was an odd error. Watson didn't even guess an American city (he said Toronto)

[Gadzooks]

Watson didn't even guess an American city (he said Toronto)

At least he was close...

[googlegoogle]

IF YOU MISSED IT.

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[tk13]

The game was a lot more exciting today. And I was actually more impressed with Watson, even though he wasn't as dominant. They actually threw a bunch of wordplay questions and I thought Watson handled it fairly well. Ken Jennings was a machine though... he went toe to toe with a supercomputer, and probably would've won had he found the daily doubles.

[rageeumr]

I can't wait for the SNL skit with Watson and Sean Connery

[mcaj22]

Ken Jennings is a beast; Chiefs should bring him in for a look

[Bearcat]

I love watching that kind of stuff and to see it from a computer geek's mind, like the movie AI.... if you think that kind of algorithm isn't that hard, just watch some of the 2nd/3rd answers. I think the 2nd one for the second largest city in New Zealand was Church of England (granted, it was like 10%). The behind the scenes stuff has some good info, too.

[Chiefnj2]

A computer that knows more than a person? Wow, someone should invent something called google where you can look things up that you don't know.

[CHENZ A!]

i watch on a fairly regular basis, and saw all of the episodes this week so far. At first I was somewhat interested, and then Watson reeled off like 5 straight to start the show, and hit the Daily Double on a completely random number of a category that hadn't been chosen yet, and with 3/4+ of the board remaining, it was BS.

Today was pretty good though. I'd be willing to bet that they put a VERY slight delay on Watson's buzzer just so that the guys could actually have a chance to answer some questions.

It was an impressive display of technology, but I like the normal version of Jeopardy much better because I like to play along and blurt out the answer before the contestants do. This really impresses my employees normally, but with Watson playing, the correct answer is written on the TV screen most of the time so it steals my thunder. :)

[Bearcat]

A computer that knows more than a person? Wow, someone should invent something called google where you can look things up that you don't know.

So, you're not a computer person...

(oh yeah, it wasn't connected to the internet)

[Tribal Warfare]

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this should be the ending theme after each show in which WATSON is on.

[bowener]

This is not far off.
http://www.wallpaperbase.com/wallpapers/movie/terminator/terminator_2.jpg

Got to love scientists with a sense of humor (http://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/).

[bowener]

I can't wait for the SNL skit with Watson and Sean Connery

Trebeck: Our order today, Watson first-
*Buzz*
Trebeck: What Connery?
Connery: Ha! Your Mother, Trebeck. That's whats on first.









I failed.

[jAZ]

i watch on a fairly regular basis, and saw all of the episodes this week so far. At first I was somewhat interested, and then Watson reeled off like 5 straight to start the show, and hit the Daily Double on a completely random number of a category that hadn't been chosen yet, and with 3/4+ of the board remaining, it was BS.

Today was pretty good though. I'd be willing to bet that they put a VERY slight delay on Watson's buzzer just so that the guys could actually have a chance to answer some questions.

It was an impressive display of technology, but I like the normal version of Jeopardy much better because I like to play along and blurt out the answer before the contestants do. This really impresses my employees normally, but with Watson playing, the correct answer is written on the TV screen most of the time so it steals my thunder. :)

I was at an IBM watch party for the opening and got to meet some of the people involved. There is an inherent delay for the computer because the person can anticipate when AT is about to finish reading the question... Watson can't... and has to wait 3 seconds each time. They humans have the potential to out-buzz the computer. That said, the computer never rings in early. Always at 3 seconds. People can jump the gun and they get penalized some slight delay when that happens (I guess to keep them from punching the button until it's live).

[CHENZ A!]

I was at an IBM watch party for the opening and got to meet some of the people involved. There is an inherent delay for the computer because the person can anticipate when AT is about to finish reading the question... Watson can't... and has to wait 3 seconds each time. They humans have the potential to out-buzz the computer. That said, the computer never rings in early. Always at 3 seconds. People can jump the gun and they get penalized some slight delay when that happens (I guess to keep them from punching the button until it's live).

That's interesting. There were several times today that KJ looked really frustrated because he couldn't get in. He must've been trying to buz in too early.

But that still doesn't explain how Watson got like EVERY DAILY DOUBLE! CMON MAN THAT COMPUTER WAS CHEATING!!! :D

[tk13]

You sure it wasn't .3 seconds? No way it was 3 seconds. I know it can't hear Alex's voice... but it wasn't playing average Jeopardy players either, there was no time to wait. I would bet Ken and Brad's average "buzz" time is .25 seconds, if not less.

[Bugeater]

That's interesting. There were several times today that KJ looked really frustrated because he couldn't get in. He must've been trying to buz in too early.

But that still doesn't explain how Watson got like EVERY DAILY DOUBLE! CMON MAN THAT COMPUTER WAS CHEATING!!! :D
In the video in post #9, it hit the DD the very first time it picked a category.

[Jerm]

I'm waiting for Watson to glitch and reply with "What is go fuck yourself Alex". That'd make it worthwhile.

[bowener]

That's interesting. There were several times today that KJ looked really frustrated because he couldn't get in. He must've been trying to buz in too early.

But that still doesn't explain how Watson got like EVERY DAILY DOUBLE! CMON MAN THAT COMPUTER WAS CHEATING!!! :D

It is programmed to know where the daily double most likely is as well. I'm not making that up. I am guessing it decides by what questions are left, and based on previous jeopardy matches or something.

[tk13]

Yeah I definitely read that in an article somewhere. It was fed an archive of every Jeopardy game ever played and knew which squares on average had the highest percentage of daily doubles.

[cdcox]

You sure it wasn't .3 seconds? No way it was 3 seconds. I know it can't hear Alex's voice... but it wasn't playing average Jeopardy players either, there was no time to wait. I would bet Ken and Brad's average "buzz" time is .25 seconds, if not less.

It really isn't a "fair" game to test what is purportedly being tested -- the ability to process human language in all its complexity and respond with the correct "fact". While the players have to read the question or listen to Alex, the computer will get the information instantaneously. So the computer starts searching for the answer while the humans are still getting the information. We already know that a computer can take in information much much faster than a human. That isn't what we are trying to test in a human-vs-computer game of Jeopardy.

Then there is a the buzzer aspect. A fixed time from when Alex starts talking or stops talking isn't the right way to do it. If the delay is 3 seconds after Alex starts reading, sometimes he may not be done speaking, thus the computer may be able to ring in before the players. Everyone should have to work off the same cue (Alex's voice) and react accordingly. If the computer guesses too early, the computer should get the same penalty. In addition, once the computer decides to ring in, it should have a slight delay built in that is calibrated to a typical human Jeopardy player. Our reactions don't work at the speed of light and again, that isn't what the contest is purportedly testing.

However, despite the limitations of the contest, the achievement by the IBM team is just incredible.

[BigRedChief]

I can't wait for the SNL skit with Watson and Sean Connery

Hey trebeck, me and Watson had a cyber chat with your mother last night.
/Connery

[tk13]

I agree... some of the things it figured out was pretty amazing. I also thought it was weird how it almost had confidence. It would get on a roll, and sometimes its confidence was low and it would struggle. I know it's supposed to be able to almost "learn" as it went along, which is an amazing and slightly frightening concept.

If you watched Ken and Brad at all in "regular" play, you'd know they while they are smart, they are in another universe on the buzzer. For it to be able to beat them so soundly on the buzzer is probably the one thing that makes it seem slanted... because honestly there are probably very few humans that could do that.

[Pioli Zombie]

Connery "I'll take The Rapists for $100".
Trebek "That's Therapists"

[chiefqueen]

I saw it Mon & Tue. when I was home sick, at time Ken looked like he wanted a baseball bat to use on Watson.

[Sofa King]

I can't wait for the SNL skit with Watson and Sean Connery

LMAO


no shit

[Predarat]

I watched it and I don't think there was a 3 sec delay for Watson, he seemed to be ansering faster then that. It was fun to watch though.