Topic: Watson

The Supreme Court is considering Watson v. Republican National Committee, a case that could end the practice of accepting ballots that arrive after election day even if postmarked on time. While any ruling is unlikely to be retroactive for past California elections, it could significantly alter the rules for the upcoming November general election.

The hosts predict that IBM's Watson AI will eventually be used as a propaganda tool to validate climate change models. They also introduce a "logical trap" for climate activists: if one believes in both man-made global warming and "peak oil," then the climate problem is self-solving as fossil fuels will inevitably run out. This inconsistency is cited as the reason why officials like John Holdren oppose peak oil theory.

A prediction from the archives suggests that following its success on Jeopardy, the IBM Watson supercomputer would move into medical research and eventually secure climate research contracts. The forecast posits that Watson will be used as an authoritative voice to declare climate change as settled science. This follows an actual five-year agreement between IBM, Nuance, and Columbia University Medical Center.

IBM Watson's deal with health insurer WellPoint is highlighted as a fulfilled prediction. A new prediction suggests Gabrielle Giffords will run as Vice President alongside Barack Obama. Additionally, the discussion covers FBI investigations into Anwar al-Awlaki and his contacts prior to the September 11 attacks.

The hosts revisit the IBM Watson Jeopardy win, noting that IBM has now launched "Patient Care and Insights" using Watson technology. They mock the industry's use of the acronym "NLP" for natural language processing, claiming it was hijacked from neuro-linguistic programming.

The hosts revisit their prediction about IBM Watson being used for cancer diagnosis in hospitals. They compare modern AI investments to the "medical expert systems" of the early 1980s, specifically mentioning the "Rex" system.

Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky experienced a "meltdown" after using an AI-driven mathematical model to redesign bus routes, leaving children stranded until 10 p.m. The district's $200,000 investment in the technology resulted in a total system failure and school closures. Additionally, a listener reports that a major U.S. bank is attempting to replace human customer service knowledge bases with AI, despite internal skepticism.

Producer Matthew Rackwall describes his experience with IBM Watson's AI, which erroneously suggested children's underwear ads for an article about child abuse. The AI was eventually relegated to simple keyword matching for sports articles. Other donations are acknowledged from Alan Green of Tier One Concealed and Surveilled, who is promoted to Viscount of FEMA Region 4.

The hosts reflect on past tech failures like IBM's Watson and Google Glass, comparing current AI hype to these "flops." They criticize tech evangelist Robert Scoble for his over-enthusiastic support of AI, noting that human ears can still distinguish between organic and synthetic music.

Troy Watson is knighted as "Sir Watson Knight of the Mushroom People of Nova Scotia." His note includes a harsh critique of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a request for cannabis edibles at the roundtable. An emergency health karma request is also granted for a "pal of the pod" in Austin experiencing a medical emergency.

A report from Summit News claiming a UK school forced mask-exempt children to wear yellow badges is discussed as an example of believable but unverified internet propaganda. The segment compares the current state of conflicting information to a "one dollar bet" between rival propagandists trying to see what the public will believe.

Ozy Media collapsed following a *New York Times* report alleging that a top executive impersonated a YouTube official during a fundraising call with Goldman Sachs. Founder Carlos Watson is accused of misleading investors about celebrity backers, including Sharon Osbourne, who denied any involvement. The company's "Ozy Fest" is described as a "Fyre Festival" style event that relied on deceptive marketing and "dumb money" from Silicon Valley.

Ozy Media, led by Carlos Watson, is being promoted as a major media entity for millennials, though critics suggest its traffic numbers are inflated. The company is largely funded by Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective, which also owns Axios. Ozy recently faced a lawsuit from Ozzy Osbourne for trademark infringement regarding their "OzyFest" event, which many consumers confused with the rock star's "Ozzfest."

Carlos Watson, a former McKinsey consultant, has raised over $70 million for Ozy Media since 2013. The company has recently "pivoted" from digital news to producing TV shows for major networks, a move skeptics view as a way to burn through remaining venture capital. The operation is described as a "Silicon Valley job" where a losing operation is eventually sold to a larger entity to protect investors like Larry Sonsini.

A survey conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that the average citizen believes 5 million people have died from COVID-19 in the country, whereas the actual figure was approximately 50,000. This discrepancy is attributed to media hysteria and the constant broadcasting of dire statistics, which has significantly skewed public perception of the virus's lethality.

Modern linguistic trends such as "vocal fry" and "T-dropping" are becoming prevalent in media and professional settings. The term "self-partnering," popularized by actress Emma Watson, is being used to describe a fulfilled single life. Critics argue these speech patterns and new terminologies reflect a shift in cultural standards and professional communication.

The Wall Street Journal produced a video showcasing a $70 custom smartphone built in Shenzhen, China, which some analysts identified as a "native ad" for the Chinese supply chain. The segment highlighted how easily custom electronics can be manufactured in the Pearl River Delta. Additionally, the search engine Yippy was revealed to be powered by IBM Watson, leading to skepticism about its independence and speed.

Representative Bonnie Watson committed a similar parliamentary violation by calling the President's tweets "blatant racism" and a "racist trope." C-SPAN was forced to broadcast dead air for hours while the House parliamentarian reviewed the various violations. The hosts characterize the entire event as "show business for ugly people" and a waste of time.

NPR and Wired reporter Paris Martineau discuss Facebook's decision to ban several "high-profile extremists," including Alex Jones, Laura Loomer, and Louis Farrakhan. The hosts analyze the timing of the ban and the lack of an official press release, noting that Facebook "seeded" the story to specific media outlets under embargo. They question the criteria for these bans and whether they serve as a prelude to 2020 election interference.

The hosts thank Associate Executive Producers Jim Watson and others for their financial support. They play various jingles and grant "karma" to donors. Adam Curry reminds listeners that the show relies entirely on their support and directs them to the donation page at dvorak.org/na.