In my 2008 book, Jump the Curve, I had a section entitled “Bet on the Machine” where I discussed how many technologies, due to the exponential growth of computer processing power, inevitably surpass the skills of even the most talented humans. As a case point, I cited how IBM’s “Deep Blue” computer now routinely beats the world’s top grandmasters in chess.
The same thing will soon happen in the retrieval of knowledge. I invite you to watch the short 6-minute video (below) on IBM’s “Watson” computer which is slated to go up against some of Jeopardy’s all-time champion’s in a game-show scheduled for next month. I don’t know whether Watson will win this time but I do know it can–and will–only get better.
The implications of this are profound. As one IBM researcher says, “The technology behind Watson will change how we interact with machines and it will also revolutionize many fields.”
Two of those fields are healthcare and the law. If you are in those areas and believe your expertise protects your job, it doesn’t. The future is no game and your job may be in jeopardy.
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