Most of us cognize IBM ’s Watson computing system from its breakout performance onJeopardy!a few class back ; I covered thatearlier today .

But Watson is pregnant not because it can bring home the bacon atJeopardy!– it ’s pregnant because it personify a central displacement in how humans interact with computer systems . The new model is that we require question , Watson makes connections based on its power to understand human language , and then it suggests potential resolution … along with showing its study .

The fact that we can see the work behind Watson ’s result is critically important – that ’s not something you get from a simpler organisation like a hunting engine . Most interesting is that , because a human selects from among the full response , humans can teach Watsonin a positive feedback loop . Watson can even require clarifying question , allowing it to learn yet more about the earth , and improving future public presentation . Watson work in tandem with humans , and sometimes the top answer is not the most utile to us – it ’s the 2nd , third , or fourth answer that may hold the headstone for a rarified medical diagnosis , or an obscure connectedness . By deploy Watson in wellness attention , IBM is helping Doctor explore and improve medical upkeep . Let ’s take a peek inside the IBM Watson Solutions Lab :

YouTube / IBM

IBM calls Watson a " Learning System , " and suggest it ’s the way we will interact with with child datum in the future . It ’s an challenging notion , and it feels right to me . specially when we peach about applications like health care , the ability for a homo to assist teach the computing gadget is crucial . Got three and a half minutes to comprehend into how Watson learn ? Watch this video .

If that pique your pursuit , here ’s Manoj Saxena in a longer TEDx talk adding more context of use , include the tidbit that IBM is training Watson thoroughly enough that it ’s " within striking aloofness " of passing the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam ( ! ):

I ’ll be digging deeper into Watson later today – stay tune up for more Watson good .