Jeopardy: The IBM Challenge

[AnAdolt]

This thread is for dicussion about the Jeopardy IBM Challenge with Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, and IBM's Watson. Please do not read further if you don't like spoilers and want to watch the outcome yourself.

Day 1, Feb. 14th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfNBWJTGEEA - Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFe2pJETNuw - Part 2
Day 2, Feb. 15th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nt-abT8gKw - Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QYchgv5dMM - Part 2
Day 3, Feb. 16th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3XrYaxKBJY - Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W36OuMU0yE - Part 2

Hopefully, those posting will answer these template questions but they're all optional so feel free to just comment without answering them:

Watched:
Rooting for:
Prediction:

If you do answer them, please post it above your comments. Unlike what I'm doing:
Watched: All 3 days
Rooting for: Ken Jennings
Prediction: Watson

First day was okay, it ended with Watson tying Brad at $5000 and Ken trailing at $2000. No big leads and it was anybody's game.

But come day 2, Watson just freaking dominated the board and landed both Double Jeopardies! Once he found the second one, I was like sh*t, this one's over. I haven't seen day 2, part 2 yet, but I'm sure Watson took it home. I really hope Ken wins the next one, or at least Brad.

Now, I currently do and have done alot of work for IBM but I gotta say, "why do you have to ruin it?". I mean, I'm a computer geek and I understand the drive for achieving computer excellence but do you really gotta do it this way? I mean, we all know computers will eventually beat us at everything; but do you really have to rub it in humanity's collective faces? I understand this is partly for IBM publicity but come on, you're IBM, I'm sure you could've thought up of other ways to do it.

As you can see, I'm completely biased and opinionated about this topic. Feel free to post any comments you have. Especially opposite viewpoints--because then it'd be a discussion and not just me ranting.

[autumnleaf]

thanks for posting this. and as for IBM, well they thought the best way of introducing new developments is to humiliate the best that human kind has to offer, i was alive then, but remember Blue vs Grandmasters of chess. Destoryed!, or so i've been told. and it's great publicity.

in another view point, just because watson won (presumably, haven't watched it all), doesn't mean that humans can't compete. if everyone was able to answer and receive scores the game might have been fairly close, as it was the machine could probably press that button faster and that was the only reason it got so lop-sided.

[autumnleaf]

okay, just finished and ken jennings is awesome =)

[AnAdolt]

All I have is rage against Watson. I won't waste my time ranting incessantly about it. It was simply ridiculous.

[arebelspy]

The problem is that Watson buzzes in too fast.

They should have averaged ken's and the other guy's buzzing in speed, and had watson always buzz in at that speed, so he'd be answering an equal number of questions, so then it would be who was better at answering the questions, not who could buzz in faster.