Which of the following is the supercomputer developed by IBM that gained fame for its performance in artificial intelligence tasks such as winning the quiz show "Jeopardy!"?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Watson

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
IBM has a long history in high performance computing and artificial intelligence research. One of its most famous systems was built to demonstrate advanced question answering and natural language processing by competing on the television quiz show Jeopardy. This question asks you to identify the name of that IBM supercomputer among several other well known systems.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The question is about an IBM supercomputer used in artificial intelligence demonstrations.
  • Options list Tianhe-2, Sunway TaihuLight, Watson, and Shasra-T.
  • Tianhe-2 and Sunway TaihuLight are Chinese supercomputers.
  • Watson is associated with IBM and Jeopardy, while Shasra-T is not a standard name.


Concept / Approach:
IBM Watson is a computer system designed for question answering based on natural language processing and machine learning. It famously competed on Jeopardy and defeated human champions. Tianhe-2 and Sunway TaihuLight are supercomputers located in China and are not IBM projects. Shasra-T does not match any widely known IBM system. Therefore, by matching the system names with their origin and purpose, we can conclude that Watson is the IBM supercomputer in question.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Remember that IBM Watson gained publicity for its appearance on Jeopardy and its ability to process large amounts of text to answer questions.Step 2: Recognise that Tianhe-2 and Sunway TaihuLight are both Chinese systems that appear in global TOP500 rankings but are associated with Chinese organisations.Step 3: Note that Shasra-T does not appear as a well documented IBM supercomputer in public listings.Step 4: Associate Watson directly with IBM’s branding for cognitive computing and AI services.Step 5: Select Watson as the correct answer that matches an IBM supercomputer used in artificial intelligence demonstrations.


Verification / Alternative check:
IBM marketing materials and case studies describe Watson in detail, emphasizing its use in healthcare, finance, and other domains after the Jeopardy demonstration. Wikipedia and other references explicitly state that Watson is an IBM computer system capable of answering questions posed in natural language. Supercomputer rankings list Tianhe-2 and Sunway TaihuLight under Chinese institutions. These sources support the conclusion that Watson is the IBM system mentioned.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Tianhe-2 is developed by Chinese institutions and is located in Guangzhou, not at an IBM facility. Sunway TaihuLight is another Chinese supercomputer known for its high ranking on performance lists. Shasra-T is not a recognised IBM supercomputer in mainstream technical references. Therefore these alternatives do not match the description of an IBM supercomputer that gained fame on Jeopardy.


Common Pitfalls:
Exam candidates may confuse the names of various supercomputers because many of them sound exotic or unfamiliar. Some may also think only of raw performance rankings and not of the AI application context. To avoid confusion, remember that Watson is specifically branded by IBM for AI and question answering, which makes it easy to link with the Jeopardy competition.


Final Answer:
The correct answer is Watson, the IBM supercomputer that became famous for its performance in artificial intelligence tasks including winning the quiz show Jeopardy.

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