WhatisWatson?

Watsonisanartificiallyintelligentcomputersystemcapableofansweringquestions
posedinnaturallanguage,developedinIBM'sDeepQAprojectbyaresearchteamled
byprincipalinvestigatorDavidFerrucci.WatsonwasnamedafterIBM'sfirstCEOand
industrialistThomasJ.Watson.Thecomputersystemwasspecificallydevelopedto
answerquestionsonthequizshowJeopardy!In2011,WatsoncompetedonJeopardy!
againstformerwinnersBradRutterandKenJennings.Watsonreceivedthefirstplace
prizeof$1million.

HowdiditWork?
Watsonhadaccessto200millionpagesofstructuredandunstructuredcontent
consumingfourterabytesofdiskstorageincludingthefulltextofWikipedia,butwasnot
connectedtotheInternetduringthegame.Foreachclue,Watson'sthreemostprobable
responsesweredisplayedonthetelevisionscreen.Watsonconsistentlyoutperformed
itshumanopponentsonthegame'ssignalingdevice,buthadtroublerespondingtoa
fewcategories,notablythosehavingshortcluescontainingonlyafewwords.

Andthen,whathappened?
In February 2013, IBM announced that Watson software system's first commercial
applicationwouldbeforutilizationmanagementdecisionsinlungcancertreatmentat
MemorialSloanKetteringCancerCenterinconjunctionwithhealthinsurancecompany
WellPoint.IBMWatson'sformerbusinesschiefManojSaxenasaysthat90%ofnurses
inthefieldwhouseWatsonnowfollowitsguidance.