Newswise — Trevor Pinch, a professor of Science and Technology Studies and a professor of Sociology at Cornell University, comments on the performance of IBM’s Watson computer on Jeopardy.
He says:
“In answer to the question about naming a US City whose first airport is named after a World-War II hero and its second after a World-War II battle, it gave Toronto – not even close! This reveals precisely what Watson lacks – embodiment.
“It is the informal, tacit, embodied knowledge that is the hardest for computers to grasp, but it is often such knowledge that is most crucial to our lives. Providing answers to questions limited to around 25 words is not the same as dealing with real problems of an emotionally distraught passenger in an open system where there may not be a unique answer.
“Humans know dealing with airline reservation systems under crisis is about the worst experience possible, especially when the computer insists that your destination is in Canada rather than in the US!”
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