(no subject)

[hatman]

The cover article in this week's NY Times magazine is about something that more or less comes down to an updated version of the Turing Test. It seems IBM is developing a computer that can play Jeopardy. (And it will, too, in an upcoming special episode with a couple of past champions.) They're hoping it will develop into a whole new line of revolutionary systems that can sort through huge amounts of data to answer complex questions in real time. If you have any interest in AI, go check it out.

Comments

[adalger]

But if you're Shalmaneser, you already knew that.

[hatman]

Sorry to be such a Phillistine, but... what? What does an Assyrian king have to do with a Jeopardy-playing AI?

[adalger]

John Brunner, Stand on Zanzibar: the supercomputer that was hooked up to all the media and information sources that everybody used to answer questions was so named, presumably after said Assyrian king.

It's an excellent novel, which I highly recommend as at or very near the pinnacle of SF. And IBM's Watson reminds me greatly of the premise of Brunner's Shalmaneser.

[hatman]

Ah, I see. Makes much more sense. And I'll try to remember to check out the book. Thanks for the rec! :)