Rise of the Robots Watson and what it means for humanity's future

I don't know about you guys but when I think of Information technology companies, IBM is one of the last companies to come into my mind. When one thinks about info tech companies thoughts of Apple, Microsoft, or one of the many dotcom companies that have changed the way we interact comes to mind. IBM is thought to be the quiet one that tries to draw as little attention from the mainstream market as possible. However, this is a rare occasion where it is actually showing some of what it has been doing these past years. Watson is revolutionary in it's implications. The processing of human language by a computer and the ability for that computer to respond could be the next leap in information technology!

Now it isn't perfect technology yet. Even while winning Jeopardy against it's human opponents, Watson sometimes managed to get some questions wrong or just was unable to answer them before humans could. However, this is just the horizon in potential applications that supercomputers like Watson could be used to help humanity. Imagine having a supercomputer available to doctors to help diagnose patients that doesn't need years of medical training to make available to the public. Through programming a computer like Watson, the programmers gain a deeper understanding of how humans think.

If IBM develops practical uses for this technology, it could become the next revolution in information technology. Much like the internet before it, Watson could accelerate the spread of human knowledge. Therefore I, like Ken Jennings, welcome our new computer overlords and the magnificent possibilities of the future they represent.