[The Final Dakar]

Apparently I'm not the only who's seeing the buzzer as being the key element in the competition.

Creators: Watson has no speed advantage as it crushes humans in Jeopardy

Though Watson seemed to be running the round and beating Jennings and Rutter to the punch with its answers many times, Welty insisted that Watson had no particular advantage in terms of buzzer speed. Players can't buzz in to give their questions until a light turns on after the answer is read, but Welty says that humans have the advantage of timing and rhythm.

This strikes me as hypocritical bull. What scientist would choose "timing and rhythm" over electronic precision for pressing a button?

Anyway, new solution: Make Watson's buzzer ability activate via a light sensor monitoring the same light the contestants see. From the podium.

[osiris]

Better yet, put Watson on a .25 second delay, with the option to increase that time if it gets cocky.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by osiris 

Better yet, put Watson on a .25 second delay, with the option to increase that time if it gets cocky.

Well, here's the thing. Isn't there some kind of minimum threshold for human reaction time?

Apparently the IBM people feel the buzzer "controversy" is cheapening their achievement. To a certain degree they're right. But it's their fault for choosing a format
that so heavily favors their machine. Which is why I suggest they remove the buzzer and make this about what they're trying to showcase: the ability to answer Jeopardy! questions. It seems like a perfect heads up challenge.

[osiris]

Some people's reaction times are quite fast, milliseconds. Some dimwitted folk might stretch that out a bit into hours, but I digress... you're right, this shouldn't be a buzzer buzzing contest, but instead the ability to answer questions. But then it wouldn't be the same Jeopardy, I suppose.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by osiris 

Some people's reaction times are quite fast, milliseconds. Some dimwitted folk might stretch that out a bit into hours, but I digress... you're right, this shouldn't be a buzzer buzzing contest, but instead the ability to answer questions. But then it wouldn't be the same Jeopardy, I suppose.

I watched Jeopardy! when I was younger, so I wasn't keen enough to pick up on how key the buzzer is, but from what I've read lately champions seem to allude that its pivotal to a winning strategy. With that in mind, it's hard to fault Watson for being superior at what might be the overlooked key to the game.

I've also read that Watson has a tendency to buzz in later if a question gives him trouble. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing them add artificial delay based on his level of certainty, as well. (i.e., 98% certain instant buzz, 67% certainty, hesitates). But again, this kinda misses the point of what they're trying to accomplish.

[The Final Dakar]

The cool thing about Watson is some of the crazy ideas I've had concerning him. Like trying to create a persona by feeding him all the literature a person from, let's say, Des Moines Iowa would have received had they been born and educated there 35 years ago. Then pick a college and a major and give him all the relevant literature for that (and his electives). Add hobbies. He likes baseball (baseball stats), 80s movies (scripts), he's read USA Today since after college (feed in every issue from 19xx to present).

I'd like to see how that competes.

(In a more PL flavored competition, create 3 Watsons, one fed print media, one TV, and one popular internet blogs. Or three, one CNN, one Fox and one MSNBC. Have them battle it out on current events)

[osiris]

I've never watched the program, so I have no idea what I'm talking about.

However, an uncertainty delay would be interesting. But if you read about it already, it must already exist, you silly man you.

But my God, computers have come a long way.

[ort888]

Watson gets fed the entire chunk of text immediately while everyone else has to read it. What if they gave Watson the text one word at a time in the same speed that a normal person reads and comprehends. It would probably only add a few fractions of a second of delay, but it might make all the difference.

Also, if Watson indeed crashed multiple times then the whole thing is bunk really. If the idea is to prove that it can compete in a normal fair game of Jeopardy and it crashes all the time, then it really can't.

If a contestant kept falling asleep during the match they sure as hell wouldn't stop the game over and over again to wait on him. He would just get kicked off or simply not answer any questions and lose.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

The cool thing about Watson is some of the crazy ideas I've had concerning him. Like trying to create a persona by feeding him all the literature a person from, let's say, Des Moines Iowa would have received had they been born and educated there 35 years ago. Then pick a college and a major and give him all the relevant literature for that (and his electives). Add hobbies. He likes baseball (baseball stats), 80s movies (scripts), he's read USA Today since after college (feed in every issue from 19xx to present).

I'd like to see how that competes.

(In a more PL flavored competition, create 3 Watsons, one fed print media, one TV, and one popular internet blogs. Or three, one CNN, one Fox and one MSNBC. Have them battle it out on current events)

Seriously, I've been thinking about that since I was 12.
I actually have an AI sim somewhere that uses personas based on specific genres. I think it was called MacHAL or something, but the databases were very unique. I had a mafia one setup. There's no limit to what you can feed something like this. When computing grows fast enough, and storage becomes nearly limitless (say, using water molecules) - you can create a man-flesh eating monster with one heckuva personality.

[iMOTOR]

Originally Posted by osiris 

So there was another computer involved...

Obviously, it was a Dell.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by ort888 

Watson gets fed the entire chunk of text immediately while everyone else has to read it. What if they gave Watson the text one word at a time in the same speed that a normal person reads and comprehends. It would probably only add a few fractions of a second of delay, but it might make all the difference.

Yeah, but it misses the point, doesn't it? This isn't about power, it's about ability. This ****ing thing can answer Jeopardy questions. Who cares if it takes it 2.77 seconds or 5.83?

It's the arena of competition that's flawed.

[osiris]

That's not the only thing that's flawed here.
gotta run now...

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by osiris 

Seriously, I've been thinking about that since I was 12.
I actually have an AI sim somewhere that uses personas based on specific genres. I think it was called MacHAL or something, but the databases were very unique. I had a mafia one setup. There's no limit to what you can feed something like this. When computing grows fast enough, and storage becomes nearly limitless (say, using water molecules) - you can create a man-flesh eating monster with one heckuva personality.

All I know is this sucker will be in classrooms eventually. Answering kids questions.

[ort888]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Yeah, but it misses the point, doesn't it? This isn't about power, it's about ability. This ****ing thing can answer Jeopardy questions. Who cares if it takes it 2.77 seconds or 5.83?

It's the arena of competition that's flawed.

And don't get me wrong. This thing is a marvel. But if you want to pretend that we have some sort of fair contest here, an actual jeopardy match... they need to work out a few kinks.

What if the text wasn't fed in, but rather read by an eye using OCR. Then again, with a computer the size of an ice cream truck, that would also be instantaneous... so whatever.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by ort888 

And don't get me wrong. This thing is a marvel. But if you want to pretend that we have some sort of fair contest here, an actual jeopardy match... they need to work out a few kinks.

Trust me, I've spent the past page complaining about its advantage. The problem is working out the kinks seems to equal making it more human/slower. Feels counter-productive.

Originally Posted by ort888 

What if the text wasn't fed in, but rather read by an eye using OCR. Then again, with a computer the size of an ice cream truck, that would also be instantaneous... so whatever.

Yep, I'm sure at every stage of it's ability to emulate humans, we're going to find something that gives it a raw advantage.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by ort888 

And don't get me wrong. This thing is a marvel. But if you want to pretend that we have some sort of fair contest here, an actual jeopardy match... they need to work out a few kinks.

What if the text wasn't fed in, but rather read by an eye using OCR. Then again, with a computer the size of an ice cream truck, that would also be instantaneous... so whatever.

The iPhone app that uses the iPhone's camera to translate signs, menus, etc. can read and interpret text practically instantly, no?

[ort888]

Watson Jeopardy! computer: Ken Jennings describes what it's like to play against a machine. - By Ken Jennings - Slate Magazine

I, for one, welcome our new computer overlords.

[The Final Dakar]

Watson was even better on Conan last night.

[seanc]

Do they have this online so I can watch it, like BBC iPlayer?

[andi*pandi]

The jeopardy website did not have anything except samples and previews.

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by seanc 

Do they have this online so I can watch it, like BBC iPlayer?

Leg.

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

The iPhone app that uses the iPhone's camera to translate signs, menus, etc. can read and interpret text practically instantly, no?

Leg.

[seanc]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Leg.

Pardon?

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by seanc 

Pardon?

YouTube - Watson, What is Leg?

From what I understand, it said "What is Leg?" twice, incorrectly.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I lost 23–19. Then again, how the hell am I supposed to know which company (that I’ve never heard of) owns two other companies I’ve never heard of? And I don’t even know what regular modern clothings are called, much less historical ones.

You're an insult to your sexual preference's stereotype.

Jeopardy seems to be a lot different in the US than over here.

That online game was not how Jeopardy! is played.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

You're an insult to your sexual preference's stereotype.

Why, thank you kindly!

That online game was not how Jeopardy! is played.

I meant not so much the format of the game, but the questions. The puns and the way you’re supposed to put together your answers is a lot different from anything we ever had here. Some of them are quite straightforward, of course, but others needed some background knowledge of how the game is played to guess correctly. I would never have expected that the correct answer would be nonsense, for example (“Alexander the Great Gatsby”? “Alexander Graham Bell Pepper”?).

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I meant not so much the format of the game, but the questions. The puns and the way you’re supposed to put together your answers is a lot different from anything we ever had here. Some of them are quite straightforward, of course, but others needed some background knowledge of how the game is played to guess correctly. I would never have expected that the correct answer would be nonsense, for example (“Alexander the Great Gatsby”? “Alexander Graham Bell Pepper”?).

Gotcha. It's a common theme on Wheel of Fortune as well.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I meant not so much the format of the game, but the questions. The puns and the way you’re supposed to put together your answers is a lot different from anything we ever had here. Some of them are quite straightforward, of course, but others needed some background knowledge of how the game is played to guess correctly. I would never have expected that the correct answer would be nonsense, for example (“Alexander the Great Gatsby”? “Alexander Graham Bell Pepper”?).

I've been a Jeopardy watcher since the early days (the Art Flemming era) and I really do hate those cutesy answer categories with a passion. That and the puns they use as hints inside the answers. They seem to have become more common and overused over time.

And don't even get me started on categories where either the answer or question have product brand names in them.

[turtle777]

Hilarious. Watson's final mistake: YouTube - IBM Watson Final Jeopardy Mistake

-t