The Jeopardy game that changed everything still haunts the show 15 years later
10 hours ago
- #Jeopardy!
- #Technology
- #Artificial Intelligence
- Alex Trebek visited IBM in 2010 to evaluate Watson, IBM's AI system designed to compete on Jeopardy!.
- Watson's display showed its top three guesses and confidence levels, highlighting its reasoning abilities.
- Trebek initially opposed showing Watson's confidence panel on TV, arguing it altered the Jeopardy! experience.
- IBM and Jeopardy! producers eventually compromised, integrating the display in a limited fashion.
- Watson famously competed against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in 2011, winning decisively.
- Controversy arose over Watson's buzzer speed and 'championship mode,' which some felt gave it an unfair edge.
- Despite criticism, Watson's victory showcased advancements in AI and natural language processing.
- Trebek later expressed mixed feelings about Watson, humorously calling it his least favorite contestant.
- Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter later 'defeated' a symbolic Watson in a trivia event, humorously avenging their loss.
- Modern AI like ChatGPT could likely dominate Jeopardy! today, surpassing even Watson's capabilities.