The 14th INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND MANAGEMENT 2016
April 14-15, 2016, ISMA University, Riga, Latvia
Nurgazy M, Shunin Yu
IBM Watson: natural language question answering system
M Nurgazy1*, Yu Shunin2, 3
International Information Technologies University, Zhandosov Str. 8”A”, 050040, Almaty, Kazakhstan
1
2
Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga Str. 8, LV-1063, Riga, Latvia
3
ISMA University, 1 Lomonosov Str., Bld 6, LV-1019, Riga, Latvia
*Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Almost everything that is characteristic of people: language understanding, feeling, judgment, hard skills, learning, spatial perception,
social behaviour, etc. – refers to the knowledge. Nowadays we increasingly expect similar cognitive behaviour of the machines that we
use. IBM Watson - is the first step in the area of cognitive systems, a new era of computing in the sphere of artificial intelligence. In
addition to computing, the Watson still has three abilities that make this system truly unique: natural language processing, formation and
evaluation of hypotheses, dynamic training. Watson combines all of these powerful features by formerly unprecedented method, which
leads to a radical change in approach to solving problems and its acceleration. Using Watson may go beyond simple data processing and
can be applied to search for correlations, forming hypotheses and learning from the results.
Keywords: cognitive system, natural language, evaluation of hypothesis, artificial intelligence
1 Introduction
specific features, a lot of idioms, ambiguity and homonymy.
We manage to convey so much meaning and to achieve
such an understanding, and participation, in spite of all the
difficulties of the language!
In fact, in order to correctly answer the question, in many
cases it is necessary to take into account the existing context. In
the absence of sufficient factual information it is difficult to
answer the question correctly, even if you can find the exact
answer to the question of the elements in the literal sense [2, 3].
IBM Watson - one of the first cognitive systems in the world.
This system is able to very many things, whereby Watson
capabilities are used in many areas - from cookery to the
prediction of accidents in populated areas. In general, most
of the opportunities Watson is not something unique, but in
complex, all of these features are very powerful tools for
solving a variety of issues [1].
For instance - the recognition of natural language,
dynamic training system, the construction and evaluation of
hypotheses. All of them has allowed IBM Watson to learn to
give direct answers correctly, with a high degree of certainty,
to questions. At the same time, cognitive system can be used
for large amounts of global unstructured data, Big Data.
3 Surface processing of natural language
In many systems, natural language processing attempts to
focus attention on accuracy within specific rules of wellformed. No further assessment of the context of such a system
does not operate. Such an approach we call the surface of
natural language processing (NLP), because, having high
accuracy in a more narrow view, it is not quite correct.
The fact that these systems are designed in accordance
with a set of rules, and perform a combination search for a
specific keyword to determine the answer.
Such systems do not know how to distinguish between
options that are not described in the rules. They may be
accurate, but is not necessarily correct.
2 What computers find hard?
Language serves as a means of expression of thought. It is
used for transmission when communicating judgment of
people. Using it we pass the fears, the hopes, the information
about the past and the future installation. It lies at the heart
of our consciousness, our ability to understand the world
around us. At the same time, here is the paradox – human
language is very inaccurate.
Please read through the following sections for more
information on preparing your paper. However, if you use
the template you do not have to worry about setting margins,
page size, and column size etc. as the template already has
the correct dimensions.
Our language - is infinite game of words, plenty of
4 Deep natural language processing
When you need not only accuracy in narrow parameters, but
the correctness also, natural language processing changes.
In assessing the question, these methods are using much
wider context. This approach we call the deep processing of
natural language, or if it comes to answering questions in
66
CM17
Computer Modelling and Information Technologies
The 14th INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND MANAGEMENT 2016
April 14-15, 2016, ISMA University, Riga, Latvia
Nurgazy M, Shunin Yu
natural language - question-answering system of content
analytics (Deep Question-Answering, DeepQA).
IBM Watson relates to systems for deep natural language
processing. In order to answer was right, the system seeks to
assess the widest possible context. It is not only the context
that is contained in the question itself, but also the context of
the knowledge available to search for the answers.
Only after the creation of Watson system, we were able
to finally achieve the correct level, which is essential for the
successful operation of information systems in the real
world, with extensive use of natural language.
5 IBM Watson – cognitive system
FIGURE 1 Characteristics of cognitive system
A cognitive system is a system (see, Figure 1), which
performs the cognitive work of knowing, understanding,
planning, deciding, problem solving, analysing,
synthesizing, assessing, and judging as they are fully
integrated with perceiving and acting [1, 4].
How Watson gets his answers to the questions? The
system operates in the following order:
In Figure 2 you can see all of these steps visually.
FIGURE 2 Basic architecture of finding answer
6 Conclusions
this type. IBM expect that the system will be even more
useful in finding the "best alternative" analysis of social
sentiment, oil refining, and in many other areas. We only
enter into an important new computing era, which focused
not only on the accuracy as to correctness. Era of the
application of human behaviour models for large-scale
computing tasks. Era of cognitive systems [5].
Currently cognitive IBM Watson system, through many
years of training and improvement, can do the work in
various fields. They are - medicine, cooking, linguistics,
solving business problems with the scientific objectives.
IBM continues evolve and develop cognitive systems of
References
[1] Lintern G 2007 What Is a Cognitive System? Proc of 14th Int Symp on
Aviation Psychology April 18-21 2005 Dayton, OH 398-402
http://www.cognitivesystemsdesign.net/Papers/What%20is%20a%20
Cognitive%20System.pdf
[2] Chandasekaran S, Di Mascio C 2014 Create a natural language
question answering system with IBM Watson and Bluemix services
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/cloud/library/cl-watson-filmsbluemix-app/cl-watson-films-bluemix-app-pdf.pdf/
[3] Farrel J 2009 IBM Watson: a Brief Overview And Thoughts For
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[4] Balina I 2015 IBM Watson Analytics
http://www.slideshare.net/IanBalina/ibm-watson-analyticspresentation
[5] Muhamediyev R I, Shunin Yu N, Gopeyenko V I (2007) Media and
active dots optimal development strategies. Computer Modelling and
New Technologies 11(4) 53-59
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Computer Modelling and Information Technologies