Microsoft Bing’s prediction engine continued its incredible performance in the World Cup, correctly picking Argentina to win over Netherlands in today’s rather boring semifinal matchup.
That brings Bing’s streak to 14 — yes, Microsoft has been spot on with every single knockout round match thus far in the World Cup.
If you’re finally convinced that Bing is a virtual psychic and want to make a bet on Sunday’s final, Microsoft thinks Germany will beat Argentina and take home its fourth World Cup championship trophy.
It’s been interesting to watch Bing kick ass in the knockout stage, especially since it only had a 60 percent success rate through the World Cup group stage.
But its performance in the knockout round has been perfect. Microsoft, which has found success predicting other competitions in reality TV contests, is using data like the teams’ records, strength of schedule, margin of victory in past matches, whether the location gives a particular team a home field advantage, and the influence of factors including weather and type of playing surface.
You can see Microsoft’s predictions on Bing by searching for “World Cup Predictions,” or Windows Phone owners can use the virtual assistant Cortana by asking her, “Who will win Team A or Team B.”