The pact could do more to help health care in the US than you might think. IBM noted that Veterans Affairs treats about 3.5 percent of all American cancer patients, the largest in any one cancer group. If even a fraction of them can find viable cancer treatments through Watson, that could help a significant portion of the population.

The company also points out that "more than one-third" of VA patients in this oncology program (about 2,700 have received support so far) are rural residents who have a harder time getting access to cutting-edge treatments. To some extent, this could make specialized cancer therapy more accessible, not just more commonplace.