Computer Learns Trivia or Birth of the Matrix?

ACt · 02-14-2011, 01:56 PM

So, in case you haven't heard, there's a little contest going on on Jeopardy over the next three days. IBM have designed a little Q&A system which after years of work has been tailored to answering trivia questions. And what better place to try it out than on Jeopardy.

So, from makers of Deep Blue, I give you Watson. The beginning of the end of human independence.

I kid, I kid.

Anyway, essentially it is a computer with programming that takes in information and then, while focusing on key words, searches the net to come up with the correct answer. Surprisingly, the fact that the answer is a question doesn't bother it. Huh. Makers were trying to get under a 3 second response time, and feel they have done so. And that's my base understanding. I think Mal or Axiom might have more to say on this because it is encroaching AI territory.

The idea is to test the systems against Jeopardy grand champions and then probably use that as enough publicity to launch a new wave of search engine and patterning software on the world. Or, they'll win, dissemble it and not let anyone see the man behind the curtain. Which is what they did with Deep Blue, leading Kasparov to expand on conspiracy theories that the machine was helped by humans. (See: Game Over. Movie about chess and the Kasparov Deep Blue competition.)

Anyway, it should be rather interesting. I most intrigued to see if the Jeopardy question writers have created any particularly tricky questions to try and defeat the program (which is what they should do). I think the Before and After ones should be really tough on it. Also, will the computer answer wrong? Or only ring in when it is 99% certain it is correct. I'm going to lean to the later because I doubt they wrote in a time limit, rather to keep searching as time allows until they are most certain. Finally, I wonder the advantage of the computer having near instantaneous reflexes to ring in while the others, though good, will have human reactions. That should give some of the easier questions to the computer.

ACt · 02-14-2011, 01:56 PM

Oh, and here's the IBM link about Watson. I'll look for more as I have time.

http://www-943.ibm.com/innovation/us/watson/

kael03 · 02-14-2011, 03:17 PM

Soon it will become self-aware, learning at a geometric rate. And in the span of a second, it will determine that humans are a threat to its existence, launching a world wide nuclear strike.

In the end, only one man can save humanity...

ACt · 02-14-2011, 03:31 PM

Thought of something else: how are they going to do Final Jeopardy? It's like 30 seconds or something like it. That's plenty of time for the computer to search and come up with the correct answer which can be captured and printed immediately rather than written out. HUGE advantage for the computer.

**Mal** · 02-14-2011, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AkamaruChewtoy

Anyway, essentially it is a computer with programming that takes in information and then, while focusing on key words, searches the net to come up with the correct answer. Surprisingly, the fact that the answer is a question doesn't bother it. Huh. Makers were trying to get under a 3 second response time, and feel they have done so. And that's my base understanding. I think Mal or Axiom might have more to say on this because it is encroaching AI territory.

This is more than simply encroaching on AI territory, it's the first real combination of two major aspects of AI: Natural Language Understanding and Expert Systems.

An Expert System is essentially a coded database of information with a user interface and an "intelligent" search algorithm. They have traditionally been designed for highly specific and specialized purposes, and have required manual encoding of all data. Watson changes this by incorporating Natural Language Understanding, which is exactly what it sounds like: the computer's ability to "read" text and interpret the meaning of words, phrases and sentences.

From my understanding, Watson doesn't search the web for its information on the fly. Instead, it can be connected to any database of information (including the web) and begin "learning" by constructing its own database of highly interconnected information.

Building a usable database alone is a great feat, and utilizing it in a reasonable time is just as difficult. Given the absolutely staggering amount of data required to be searched, conventional non-intelligent search algorithms could take hundreds or even thousands of years to answer even the most basic questions.

Unless there is something IBM is not telling us, it is not possible for Watson to become self-aware.

kael03 · 02-14-2011, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mal

Unless there is something IBM is not telling us, it is not possible for Watson to become self-aware.

Same was said for Skynet until it was connected to the military communications array/internet.

**Mal** · 02-14-2011, 05:08 PM

Right. Sorry, I forgot we live in a fictional world of contrived circumstances and unrealistic events.

kael03 · 02-14-2011, 05:13 PM

You're killing the joke.

stubborn_d0nkey · 02-14-2011, 05:16 PM

@mal: it makes for more entertaining speculation

@kael: exactly. he's ruining the fun

kael03 · 02-14-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stubborn_d0nkey

@kael: exactly. he's ruining the fun

I'm already preparing for our cyborg overlords.

stubborn_d0nkey · 02-14-2011, 05:21 PM

ammunition or metal-ass kissing? :P

kael03 · 02-14-2011, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stubborn_d0nkey

ammunition or metal-ass kissing? :P

More from column A while I pretend at column B. Gotta be prepared for the revolution.

stubborn_d0nkey · 02-14-2011, 05:38 PM

Make a bunker, stack it with supplies. Build it under a pc dump (they wouldn't check there). When you finish that, PM me, ill tell you what else you should do

kael03 · 02-14-2011, 05:42 PM

I already have the perfect place figured out...

Blizzard HQ. I know our cyborg overlords will be based there. They'll never suspect the revolution is building right under their digital/metal alloy feet.

stubborn_d0nkey · 02-14-2011, 05:47 PM

damn, i was gonna make you make the bunker they way i want it and steal it from you

02-14-2011, 01:56 PM	#1
ACt Heart Wizard Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Halls of Irreverence Posts: 3,257 Thanks: 5,326 Thanked 18,706 Times in 4,853 Posts	Computer Learns Trivia or Birth of the Matrix? So, in case you haven't heard, there's a little contest going on on Jeopardy over the next three days. IBM have designed a little Q&A system which after years of work has been tailored to answering trivia questions. And what better place to try it out than on Jeopardy. So, from makers of Deep Blue, I give you Watson. The beginning of the end of human independence. I kid, I kid. Anyway, essentially it is a computer with programming that takes in information and then, while focusing on key words, searches the net to come up with the correct answer. Surprisingly, the fact that the answer is a question doesn't bother it. Huh. Makers were trying to get under a 3 second response time, and feel they have done so. And that's my base understanding. I think Mal or Axiom might have more to say on this because it is encroaching AI territory. The idea is to test the systems against Jeopardy grand champions and then probably use that as enough publicity to launch a new wave of search engine and patterning software on the world. Or, they'll win, dissemble it and not let anyone see the man behind the curtain. Which is what they did with Deep Blue, leading Kasparov to expand on conspiracy theories that the machine was helped by humans. (See: Game Over. Movie about chess and the Kasparov Deep Blue competition.) Anyway, it should be rather interesting. I most intrigued to see if the Jeopardy question writers have created any particularly tricky questions to try and defeat the program (which is what they should do). I think the Before and After ones should be really tough on it. Also, will the computer answer wrong? Or only ring in when it is 99% certain it is correct. I'm going to lean to the later because I doubt they wrote in a time limit, rather to keep searching as time allows until they are most certain. Finally, I wonder the advantage of the computer having near instantaneous reflexes to ring in while the others, though good, will have human reactions. That should give some of the easier questions to the computer.

02-14-2011, 01:56 PM	#2
ACt Heart Wizard Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Halls of Irreverence Posts: 3,257 Thanks: 5,326 Thanked 18,706 Times in 4,853 Posts	Re: Computer Learns Trivia or Birth of the Matrix? Oh, and here's the IBM link about Watson. I'll look for more as I have time. http://www-943.ibm.com/innovation/us/watson/

02-14-2011, 03:17 PM	#3
kael03 Aspiring Physicist Join Date: May 2010 Age: 27 Posts: 4,606 Thanks: 4,861 Thanked 8,544 Times in 3,787 Posts	Re: Computer Learns Trivia or Birth of the Matrix? Soon it will become self-aware, learning at a geometric rate. And in the span of a second, it will determine that humans are a threat to its existence, launching a world wide nuclear strike. In the end, only one man can save humanity...

02-14-2011, 03:31 PM	#4
ACt Heart Wizard Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Halls of Irreverence Posts: 3,257 Thanks: 5,326 Thanked 18,706 Times in 4,853 Posts	Re: Computer Learns Trivia or Birth of the Matrix? Thought of something else: how are they going to do Final Jeopardy? It's like 30 seconds or something like it. That's plenty of time for the computer to search and come up with the correct answer which can be captured and printed immediately rather than written out. HUGE advantage for the computer.

02-14-2011, 05:08 PM	#7
Mal Scotch Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,102 Thanks: 12,874 Thanked 10,827 Times in 3,841 Posts	Re: Computer Learns Trivia or Birth of the Matrix? Right. Sorry, I forgot we live in a fictional world of contrived circumstances and unrealistic events.

02-14-2011, 05:13 PM	#8
kael03 Aspiring Physicist Join Date: May 2010 Age: 27 Posts: 4,606 Thanks: 4,861 Thanked 8,544 Times in 3,787 Posts	Re: Computer Learns Trivia or Birth of the Matrix? You're killing the joke.

02-14-2011, 05:42 PM	#14
kael03 Aspiring Physicist Join Date: May 2010 Age: 27 Posts: 4,606 Thanks: 4,861 Thanked 8,544 Times in 3,787 Posts	Re: Computer Learns Trivia or Birth of the Matrix? I already have the perfect place figured out... Blizzard HQ. I know our cyborg overlords will be based there. They'll never suspect the revolution is building right under their digital/metal alloy feet.

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