Google's DeepMind AI division just defeated champion Lee Sedol in a game of Go.
It's a major milestone for artificial-intelligence research: Go is a simple game but has been notoriously difficult for computers to master because of the sheer number of potential moves. While AI programs began being able to beat humans at chess decades ago, the best Go players in the world have always been able to outsmart Go-playing software — until now.
Go is a two-player turn-based strategy game. Each player puts down either black or white stones in an attempt to outmaneuver and surround the other player. It's easy to pick up but takes years to master.
DeepMind's "AlphaGo" AI won the game in Seoul, South Korea, by resignation after 186 moves. The win marks the first time that a computer program has defeated a top-ranked human Go player on a full 19x19 board with no handicap.
After the game, Google DeepMind said it looked as though it were neck-and-neck for the entirety. Lee Sedol made very "aggressive" moves, but it wasn't enough to beat AlphaGo.
Demis Hassabis, the cofounder and CEO of DeepMind, said in a press statement: "What an incredibly exciting game. Lee Sedol is a formidable opponent, famed for his fighting style, and AlphaGo decided to go toe-to-toe with him, which made for a tense, close-fought game. We still have four games to go, so anything can still happen. Whatever the outcome, we feel this match is a testament to the power of human ingenuity."
Lee Sedol said at the postgame news conference: "I would like to express my respect to Demis and his team for making such an amazing program like AlphaGo. I am surprised by this result. But I did enjoy the game and am looking forward to the next one."
(Scroll down to watch the entire game.)
Several key members of the 200-strong DeepMind team — including unsung hero David Silver, the lead programmer on AlphaGo — are in a luxury hotel in Seoul this week watching AlphaGo take on Lee Sedol.
Wednesday's match was the first of five planned between man and machine. Before the game, Lee Sedol said he was "confident" about his prospects, telling reporters he was aiming for a 5-0 victory across all the games.
Hassabis and DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman have publicly celebrated their victory on Twitter. "We made history! What an incredible moment!" Suleyman wrote.
"We landed it on the moon," Hassabis wrote. "So proud of the team!! Respect to the amazing Lee Sedol too."
Before the matches against Lee Sedol, AlphaGo took on — and defeated — the European Go champion, Fan Hui.
—Mustafa Suleyman (@mustafasuleymn) March 9, 2016
—Demis Hassabis (@demishassabis) March 9, 2016
