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IBM Watson: AI's Impact on Industries

IBM's Watson supercomputer defeated human champions on the game show Jeopardy in 2011 using massive computing power and natural language processing algorithms. Watson can now be applied to fields like medicine through apps that assess health risks and recommend personalized exercises and nutrition based on genetics and medical history. Tax preparation company H&R Block also uses Watson to help clients maximize tax deductions and returns.

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79 views1 page

IBM Watson: AI's Impact on Industries

IBM's Watson supercomputer defeated human champions on the game show Jeopardy in 2011 using massive computing power and natural language processing algorithms. Watson can now be applied to fields like medicine through apps that assess health risks and recommend personalized exercises and nutrition based on genetics and medical history. Tax preparation company H&R Block also uses Watson to help clients maximize tax deductions and returns.

Uploaded by

abdisamed awliyo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

IBM Watson: A Supercomputer with Artificial

Intelligence Capabilities
Finance | Technology in Society | Analytical Thinking | Application
On February 16, 2011, an IBM supercomputer named Watson beat two former champions of the
television game show Jeopardy and took away the $1 million prize. At first, Watson did poorly on a
variety of subjects, from politics to USA Today’s 2008 price hike. The supercomputer also did not
know that Slovenia was the only former Yugoslav republic currently in the European Union.
Eventually, though, it pulled ahead, with 18 correct answers compared to Ken Jennings’s seven and
Brad Rutter’s four.
To achieve its victory, Watson needed massive computing power and storage space, including 10
server racks, each with 10 IBM Power 750 servers; it drew on 200 million pages of content stored
on 4 terabytes of disk space. Thousands of algorithms and computer programs allowed it to break
down human language into pieces so it could search for answers in its massive database. It
answered questions without exactly understanding them, but it answered them with a high degree
of confidence! Overall, this was a significant improvement in a computer’s ability to understand
context in human language. IBM believes that the technology behind Watson can be applied to a
variety of fields, including medicine. Voice integration is the next step in the development of
Watson-related applications.
Watson-powered apps are now available that can serve as a personal shopping assistant and help
brick-and-motor companies to increase their cross-sell and up-sell opportunities.
IBM and Pathway Genomics are developing an app that uses personal history and genetics to
evaluate risks and recommend exercises. This app enables an individual to find out what exercises
to do, what food to eat, and what medical tests to ask from a doctor.
Watson has also been used as a trip-planning service providing travelers with relevant information
in order to better plan their trips.
As an example, H&R Block, an American tax preparation company, is using Watson to improve the
client experience and assist in identifying credits and deductions. Watson will be able to find the
best outcome for each and every unique tax situation and maximize tax returns. At the same time, it
will assist clients to better understand how different filing options can impact (increase or
decrease) their tax returns.
Some of the new features and capabilities of Watson include vision-recognizing images and
patients’ records, battling cancer with advanced genomics, and managing call centers.
Questions and Discussions
1. For what purpose is H&R Block using Watson? 2. What are two Watson applications in the
medical field?

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