Google’s AlphaGo defeats grand master of Go in Korea

World Today

Machine beats man in a final match of “Go”, the ancient Chinese board game. Google’s AlphaGo computer defeated Lee Seedol, a grand master. It is a big leap forward for artificial intelligence.

Shane Hahm reports from Seoul.

The implications of this match are far-reaching because Go is a game that requires as much intuition as it does calculation.

Go is a popular pastime in South Korea.

Many are exposed to the game at a young age to help train the brain.

It is no surprise that Lee Sedol’s match with AlphaGo has captured the attention of the nation.

When Lee lost the first three matches in the series, skepticism grew over whether he would ever be able to beat his opponent. But Lee proved doubters wrong when he avoided a clean sweep, exposing loopholes in the computer’s program; something developers feel is valuable information in the quest to perfect their prototype.

Artificial intelligence is already being used in some industries, from medicine to the auto business. It could become big business in the near future.