Jim De Piante, IBM project manager on the Watson supercomputer project, will speak about the development of Watson and the Jeopardy! gameshow challenge on Nov. 3.
Watson, named after IBM’s founder, Thomas J. Watson, was built by a team of IBM researchers who set out to accomplish a grand challenge — build a computing system that rivals a human’s ability to answer questions posed in natural language with speed, accuracy and confidence. The TV show Jeopardy! provided the ultimate challenge because the game’s clues involve analyzing subtle meaning, irony, riddles and other complexities in which humans excel and computers traditionally do not.
Watson passed its first test on Jeopardy! in February, beating the show’s two greatest champions in a televised exhibition match, but the real test will be in applying the underlying data management and analytics technology in government and business.
De Piante will share background and insider stories on the development of Watson. He will also put Watson in historical context alongside similar events used to showcase technological marvels such as Watson.
The talk, sponsored by the School of Information Studies, will be held in the Life Sciences Complex Auditorium (001) at 6 p.m. on Nov. 3. It is free and open to the public.
Website: http://ischool.syr.edu/newsroom/?recid=1204
Contact Person: J.D. Ross
School of Information Studies
443-3094
rossjd@syr.edu
Dear Students and Families: The first day of classes is now less than 40 days away. We are all excited by the prospect of a return to an academic and student experience that resembles our pre-pandemic campus environment. A critical…
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff: I hope everyone is enjoying the summer months. During these quieter times on campus, many construction and renovation projects are underway, as we prepare for the return of students and the start of another busy…
With help from the Syracuse University and greater communities, a rehabilitated red-tailed hawk was released back into the wild to rejoin its family on July 15. Juvenile A is the first of two chicks that hatched this year in the…
It’s one of the sounds of summer: a gas-powered lawnmower. The noise is quite common in neighborhoods as people work to keep their lawns looking good. It’s no different on the Syracuse University campus. With 800 acres of grounds, cutting…
Two campus construction projects beginning next week will involve the temporary closure of College Place, due to crosswalk replacement work, and Smith Drive, due to the installation of Machinery Hall chilled water service. College Place Closure Campus Planning, Design and…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
