Dr. 2.0: WellPoint uses IBM Watson technology to develop healthcare applications

INDIANAPOLIS — Healthcare giant WellPoint has inked a deal with IBM whereby it will develop applications using IBM's Watson artificial intelligence technology to deliver healthcare information to patients.



Watson, named for IBM founder Thomas Watson, is a system developed by IBM scientists designed to mimic a human's ability to answer questions posed in natural language that earlier this year appeared on the TV game show "Jeopardy!" and won against two human contestants.



The companies said that Watson's ability to analyze the meaning and context of human language and process large amounts of information would assist physicians and nurses in identifying the most likely diagnosis and treatment options for their patients.