IBM, Universities Talk Of Watson's Next Steps

Watson, the computer that took popular quiz show Jeopardy! by storm, is at the center of an IBM-hosted discussion on what the computer's next steps will be.

The tech giant is hosting scientists from its own company as well as students from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh who will share ideas on what's possible with Watson's technology in fields such as medicine, law, business, computer science and engineering. IBM chose Pittsburgh for the symposium because of CMU's efforts led Eric Nyberg, professor of the Language Technologies Institute, in helping develop Watson.

This is the first time we're bringing together Watson, IBM scientists, faculty, and students to prepare for the next evolution in computing, Bernie Meyerson, vice president of innovation and university programs for IBM, said in a statement. Watson will transform how technology is applied to assist doctors, business people and more. Our hope is that seeing Watson first hand will spark innovation from the leaders of tomorrow so that together we can continue to build a smarter planet.

Students from CMU and University of Pittsburgh will also get a chance to play some Jeopardy! against Watson. A month ago, Watson was able to thoroughly dominate two of the top Jeopardy! contestants of all time, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. It is equipped with question answering technology, is made up of 90 IBM Power 750 servers using 15 terabytes of RAM and 2,880 processor cores.

The real-world applications of this cutting-edge technology - such as assisting healthcare professionals in evaluating complex and multiple diagnostic and patient treatment options - have the extraordinary potential to enhance the human condition and transform lives, said University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, in a statement.