Neural networks have already found practical application in many plants, and recent advancements in artificial intelligence promise to shape the design of the next generation of power plant supervisory controls. Will future plant operators be fashioned from silicon? In February, viewers of the quiz show Jeopardy! watched as IBM's supercomputer Watson soundly defeated the all-time game show champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Watson's victory has been viewed by those who work in the field of information technology (IT) as a milestone event. The game show victory marked the first time a machine had sufficient data recollection speed, discernment accuracy, and reliability to compete with humans in a real-time test of judgment and knowledge, and win.
展开▼
