Watson, I need some help with dinner…
One of the highlights of the three-day event - held at the Culinary Institute of America's Greystone campus in Napa Valley - was a presentation from IBM's Dr Steve Abrams, who gave a live demo of a conversation with 'Chef Watson' - a tool powered by IBM Watson, the super-computer that beat human rivals at Jeopardy and is now being employed to help us decide what to have for dinner tonight.
Chef Watson is a talking computer program who helps suggest unique dishes based on your preferences and its understanding of flavor science and current culinary trends, and can even order the ingredients for you once you've made your choice.
Right now, Chef Watson is in the beta testing stage, but so far, feedback has been extremely positive, said Dr Abrams, who says there have been "three eras of computing". First, the era of tabulating machines; second the era of programmable systems; and third, the era of 'cognitive computing', adaptable systems that can learn, evolve and engage with humans in a completely novel way.
Live on stage, Chef Watson - told that Abrams needed "some help with dinner" - invited him to try fish tacos (with a twist), explained how to make them, listed the ingredients needed to make the dish (and which ones Abrams already had at home), and suggested some side dishes.
He also had an eye for detail (or possibly a sense of humor). Asked if he could come up with "something a bit spicier"?, he said: "How would you define a bit?"
Click HERE to read more about Chef Watson.
