IBM计算机Watson将挑战Jeopardy游戏冠军

The game show "Jeopardy" will pit man versus machine this winter in a competition that will show how successful scientists are in creating a computer that can mimic human intelligence.

Two of the venerable* game show's most successful champions — Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter — will play two games against "Watson," a computer program developed by IBM's artificial intelligence team. The matches will be spread over three days that will air February 14-16, the game show said Tuesday.

The competition reminds people of* the game in which an IBM-developed chess-playing computer competed against chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997.

The "Jeopardy" answer-and-question format is a different kind of challenge. It often requires contestants to deal with subtleties*, puns* and riddles and come up with answers fast.

"Watson" is named for IBM founder Thomas J. Watson. It will look nothing like the computer "maid" on "The Jetsons." Rather, IBM said its on-screen appearance will be represented by a round avatar*.

The computer has already been tested in some 50 games against past "Jeopardy" champions. But neither IBM nor "Jeopardy" representatives would say what "Watson's" record was.

The winner gets a US$1 million prize. IBM said it would donate its winnings to charity, while Jennings and Rutter said they would give half of their prize money away.

Jennings had the game show's longest winning streak*, taking 74 games in a row during the 2004-2005 season. Rutter has won more money than any other "Jeopardy" player, nearly US$3.3 million during his first appearance and three tournaments after that.

IBM is hoping the technology it exhibits will have some practical uses in the future, for instance helping doctors diagnose* illnesses or solving customer problems at technical support centers.

venerable 值得尊重的

remind of 让......想起

subtlety 微妙之处

pun 双关语

avatar 头像

winning streak 连胜

diagnose 诊断