IBM Computer to Take on Jeopardy! Champions

The long-running trivia show "Jeopardy!" is trying a new tactic to woo viewers -- replacing human players with computers. Well, sort of.

Starting on Monday, February 14th, two particularly dominant former human champions will take on a computer specially engineered by IBM to rival the way a human answers trivia questions. It's the game show version of The Terminator.

Jeopardy! Winner Racks up $3M in Prizes, Wins 74 Shows NonStop

Ken Jennings is perhaps the most memorable Jeopardy! player ever, setting show records back in 2004 when he won an incredible 74 games in a row.

During his run, Jennings racked up an incredible $3 million-plus in winnings. Surprisingly, those earnings aren't a Jeopardy! record -- that feat belongs to Brad Rutter, whose income from the show totals over $3.2 million.

IBM Computer Designed for Trivia

Both Jennings and Rutter will challenge the IBM computer, named Watson, for a pair of games. IBM says Watson is scientifically engineered to have trivia speed and accuracy characteristics similar to those of a human. (Source: ozarksfirst.com)

The special series includes two games which start tonight. The show was taped last month.

Jennings and Rutter, both of whom have made quite the fortune from their time on Jeopardy!, are competing for one million dollars. The runner up receives $300,000 and the third place finisher $200,000. The human contestants say they'll donate half their winnings to charity, while IBM promises to donate all of Watson's earnings to charitable organizations.

Facebook Users Predict Non-Human Victory

Predictions are running wild as to who will win. An unofficial Facebook poll has Watson well ahead, with 44 per cent of the respondents answering in its favor. Jennings runs a close second at 41 per cent, with Rutter at just 14 per cent (despite the fact that he not too long ago defeated Ken Jennings in a Jeopardy! tournament).

For its part, Watson seems ready for the challenge. According to IBM, not only did the machine pass the Jeopardy! contestant test, but it's also been practicing regularly against 50 of the show's top players. (Source: abclocal.com)