'Watson' And The New Face Of Artificial Intelligence

Top Jeopardy champions are putting their human brains up against a machine named Watson.  We look at the future – and reality, right now – of artificial intelligence.

It’s man versus machine again this week. Not over a chess board, but on Jeopardy. IBM’s supercomputer Watson is up against two of the winningest humans in the game show’s history. Tonight is the finale.

Last night, Watson, the computer, thumped Brad and Ken, the champion humans. As a display of artificial intelligence, this may not have been what the visionaries first imagined when AI was conceived. But it is darned impressive to watch. It makes us wonder how much AI is working around us already. And where this goes.

We talk with a creator of Watson, with human Jeopardy champ Brad Rutter, and look at the future of artificial intelligence.
- Tom Ashbrook
Guests:

David Gondek, research staff member for IBM on the Watson Project.

Stephen Baker, author of the new book "Final Jeopardy: Man vs. Machine and the Quest to Know Everything." He was Business-Week’s senior technology writer for a decade.

Brad Rutter, one of two Jeopardy champions to compete again Watson. He's the biggest all-time money winner on Jeopardy.

Steven Levy, senior writer for Wired Magazine.  His article, "The AI Revolution is On" appeared in the January issue.  His book, "In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives" will be out in April.