'Jeopardy!' champs beaten to buzzer by IBM computer 'Watson'

Washington, Jan 14 (ANI): IBM has after four years developed a computing system called 'Watson' that specializes in analysing natural human language and answering complex questions.

And to test its capabilities, the machine was pitted against the most celebrated human contestants, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, in a 'Jeopardy!' exhibition match.

Watson is said to have cleared out the entire first category without the two champions getting even a buzz in, during the quiz show in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., on January 13, 2011.

John E. Kelly III, senior vice president and director of IBM Research, said the machine, named after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson, is a defining breakthrough in artificial intelligence technology.

"We've created a system that can interact in a very special way," Fox News quoted him as having said at the demonstration.

"People spend their lifetime trying to advance [the field of artificial intelligence] by inches. What Watson does has demonstrated the ability to advance the field of artificial intelligence by miles," he stated. (ANI)