Elementary my dear Watson …
Former Jeopardy champs Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter faced off against Watson on Monday, February 14 on day-one of a three-day competition. The IBM ‘contestant’ is the world’s most advanced question answering system.
Rutter, in 2000, became a 5-time champion and went on to win three of Jeopardy’s most prestigious tournaments — earning a record $3.2 million. In 2004 Jennings set a record for winning 74 consecutive games and earning $3 million, setting a standard for excellence that have never been equaled.
The lighted blue avatar, a representation of Watson, went head to head against the top two quiz game champions, finishing the first round tied at $5,000 with Rutter, while Jennings took third place at $2,000. Watson had an early lead but it narrowed after the IBM machine incorrectly answered a few high-value questions.
The actual computer, cooled by two large refrigeration units, was in a room nearby.
Check out the Round 1 video below: