Inside STAT: IBM Watson's bet on China starts to look shaky

IBM’s Watson health business has been plagued by failures in the U.S. and Europe — but it’s still clinging to a comfortable role in China’s health care system, where several hospitals are using the technology in cancer care. IBM has also formed a key alliance with Baheal Pharmaceutical Group, a Chinese company that works to bring Watson to hospitals. But a STAT examination reveals that IBM and Baheal are now scrambling to respond to many of the same doubts that showed up in the U.S. and Europe. IBM flew two top execs to Beijing to downplay concerns, and Chinese journalists told STAT that Beheal employees offered reporters for China-based news organizations money for positive coverage of Watson. STAT’s Casey Ross and Ike Swetlitz have the story here.