IBM Watson is best known for appearances on Jeopardy! and unlocking the secret to happiness, but now the artificial intelligence supercomputer is adding a new accomplishment to its resume: filing your annual tax returns, Mashable reports.
H&R Block has partnered with IBM to use Watson’s computing power to go through tax documents and receipts. Along with H&R Block staff, IBM’s software will use natural language processing to understand more than 70,000 pages of the United States federal tax code as well as up-to-date tax laws in order to find the best possible tax return for customers.
“IBM has shown how complex, data-rich industries such as healthcare, retail and education are being transformed through the use of Watson,” said David Kenny, IBM’s senior vice president for Watson, in a press release. “Now with H&R Block, we’re applying the power of cognitive computing in an entirely new way that everyone can relate to and benefit from – the tax prep process.”
IBM Watson will also learn more about the U.S. tax code as it continues to file more returns throughout the season, so it can be smarter and more efficient. The tax firm hopes that Watson will improve the way they file year after year.
H&R Block will officially launch IBM’s Watson at their 10,000 locations nationwide on February 5.
[h/t Mashable]
February 3, 2017 – 9:30am