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Google AI's AlphaGo to face Chinese teen in May
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TV screens show the live broadcast of the Google DeepMind Challenge Match between Google's artificial intelligence program, AlphaGo, and South Korean professional Go player Lee Sedol, at the Yongsan Electronic store in Seoul, South Korea, March 15, 2016. Google’s Go-playing computer program again defeated its human opponent in a final match sealing its 4:1 victory. (AP/Ahn Young-joon)
Back in 2016, a Google-run artificial intelligence defeated Go legend Lee Se-dol in a five-game tournament, winning four games.
Called AlphaGo, the AI surprised everyone in its mastery of the complex game and sparked further interest in artificial intelligence. But its victory may be short-lived. Lee Se-dol is no longer considered the best Go player in the world.
Nineteen year-old Chinese player Ke Jie has since received the title and has even beaten Lee Se-dol in several matches. So next month, at the Future of Go Summit in Wuzhen, China, Ke will face off against AlphaGo in a three-game match.
Read also: AlphaGo now world's No. 1 Go player
Go is an almost 3000-year-old abstract board game. The Verge describes it as “a game of strategy played across a 19 by19 grid; players take turns placing black and white stones to surround points on the grid and capture their opponent’s territory. Although the rule set is very small, it creates a challenge of extraordinary depth and nuance.”
"I was very surprised," said Lee after the AI first beat him in March 2016. "I didn't expect to lose. I didn't think AlphaGo would play the game in such a perfect manner.”
At the Summit, not only Ke will play against AlphaGo. China’s other top Go players will also team up in an attempt to defeat the AI.
The Future of Go Summit, a collaboration between Google, the China Go Association, and the Chinese government, will be held from May 23 to 27. (sul/kes)
