The Computer History Museum (CHM) announced today that a server from IBM’s Watson cognitive computing system has been donated to the Museum’s Permanent Collection. The donation comprises one of the 90 POWER 750 servers that made up the original Watson system that triumphed on the popular TV game show "Jeopardy!" in 2011.
IBM Chairman & CEO Ginni Rometty made the announcement of the Watson server donation on stage during the Museum’s "Revolutionaries" speaker event on November 18. Guests who attended the event got a sneak peek at the artifact and heard about IBM’s plans for Watson. The Watson server will be on temporary display at the Museum in 2015.
Named after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson, IBM Watson has grown from a single, game playing system to a family of commercial cognitive services delivered over the cloud. Watson represents the new era of cognitive computing, where people interact with computers naturally, augmenting their knowledge with powerful insights.
“We are very grateful to IBM for sharing Watson with us and are delighted to acknowledge its importance as a seminal achievement in the history of artificial intelligence,” said Computer History Museum Senior Curator Dag Spicer.
The server is an important addition to the world’s largest collection of artifacts related to the history of computing that researchers, journalists, educators, and students from all over the world to understand the global impact of computing.
The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, is a nonprofit organization with a four-decade history as the world’s leading institution exploring the history of computing and its ongoing impact on society. The Museum is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of computer history and is home to the largest international collection of computing artifacts in the world, encompassing computer hardware, software, documentation, ephemera, photographs, and moving images.
The Museum brings computer history to life through large-scale exhibits, an acclaimed speaker series, a dynamic website, docent-led tours, and an award-winning education program. The Museum’s signature exhibition is “Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing,” described by USA Today as “the Valley’s answer to the Smithsonian.” Other current exhibits include “Charles Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2,” “IBM 1401 and PDP-1 Demo Labs,” and “Where To? A History of Autonomous Vehicles.”
For more information and updates, call (650) 810-1059, visit www.computerhistory.org, check us out on Facebook, follow @computerhistory on Twitter, and read the Museum blog @chm.
PR Team
pr@computerhistory.org
650.810.1059
