Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#1

Post by nyellin » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 1:53 PM UTC

Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy
venturebeat.com

Re: Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#2

Post by chaosmachine » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 2:28 PM UTC

After not being able to find a suitable online stream of this event (I don't have cable), I gave up and built a rudimentary antenna for my TV. Basically, I just wound a bunch of copper wire around a piece of cardboard and stuck it in the window. The other end of the wire went into the cable port on the back of my TV. Surprisingly, I was able to pick up the game in crystal clear, digital 1080p!

Re: Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#3

Post by Swizec » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 2:36 PM UTC

chaosmachine wrote: post #2

After not being able to find a suitable online stream of this event (I don't have cable), I gave up and built a rudimentary antenna for my TV. Basically, I just wound a bunch of copper wire around a piece of cardboard and stuck it in the window. The other end of the wire went into the cable port on the back of my TV. Surprisingly, I was able to pick up the game in crystal clear, digital 1080p!

That's pretty impressive, mind sharing a photo with us? I just want to understand what this level of awesome looks like.

Re: Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#4

Post by ugh » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 2:36 PM UTC

If you want to watch it but have no way of doing so, the game is (still?) available on YouTube and easily findable. It will also be available on the IBM Watson website (http://ibmwatson.com/) the day after tomorrow.

Re: Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#5

Post by Dboy » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 2:40 PM UTC

Video:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PSPvHcLnN0

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtHlxzOXgYs

Re: Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#6

Post by shkb » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 2:40 PM UTC

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2220667

For those that missed the game, or can't remember every question, a nice spreadsheet/empty discussion made by ckwalsh.

Re: Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#7

Post by jonknee » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 2:42 PM UTC

chaosmachine wrote: post #2

After not being able to find a suitable online stream of this event (I don't have cable), I gave up and built a rudimentary antenna for my TV. Basically, I just wound a bunch of copper wire around a piece of cardboard and stuck it in the window. The other end of the wire went into the cable port on the back of my TV. Surprisingly, I was able to pick up the game in crystal clear, digital 1080p!

There's something fitting about fashioning your own antenna to watch AI compete on Jeopardy. True hacker.

Re: Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#8

Post by powrtoch » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 2:42 PM UTC

"Watson can’t adjust its answers to what the other players say and so it simply answers with whatever comes up as its top answer."

This is false, in fact they specifically mentioned Watson learning from the answers of the other players.

In the game, Watson answers "The 1920s" after Jennings answers incorrectly with "the 20s". Basically, it didn't write off its own answer because it thought Jennings' was different enough that it might have been incorrect for the way it was phrased. The same way you might correctly answer "inner ear" after someone else incorrectly answers "ear".

Re: Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#9

Post by shkb » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 2:47 PM UTC

powrtoch wrote: post #8

"Watson can’t adjust its answers to what the other players say and so it simply answers with whatever comes up as its top answer." This is false, in fact they specifically mentioned Watson learning from the answers of the other players. In the game, Watson answers "The 1920s" after Jennings answers incorrectly with "the 20s". Basically, it didn't write off its own answer because it thought Jennings' was different eno…

Not sure if it does it during the question though. The NOVA documentary on Watson[1] mentions having problems specifically with time phrases like the '20s, and it also has a part on giving Watson text input of the correct answer to improve performance after the question is answered. Nothing on getting every response from the other players.

[1] http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/smartest-machine-on-earth....

Re: Day 1: IBM Watson Ties for first on Jeopardy

#10

Post by cryptoz » Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 2:49 PM UTC

I couldn't have wished for a more exciting opening to this game. Watson just shot right off into the lead like there was no tomorrow, jetting ahead by thousands! I was blown away. Then he slowly started to crumble a bit and his answers were faulty more and more. But his strategy is amazing! He hops from category to category, while most humans pick a category and stick with it. I wonder if IBM has him do that purely because it might throw the humans off a bit. Totally awesome. I can't wait for tonight's show!