Google's AlphaGo (DeepMind) Beat Top Human Go Master

Welcome - I'm your navigator, Nathan Shiga. This episode has not directly to do Japan but allow me indulge on my own curiosity on a fierce rivalry between human and machine in the world of Go. You recall I wrote on the subject a while ago and previewed a big match slated for early March. The match was held yesterday and machine outplayed human flat.

You know, I was half hoping for the reverse - the world champion of whatever nationality would after all tame a mere mechanism. So, I'm half downhearted now to report to you otherwise.

When I wrote then that this Google AlphaGo had beaten the European champion five to nil, I had a feeling that the champion was a bit too low in ranking and a grandmaster should overwhelm the machine in no time. So, while previewing the first of a 5-match showdown slated in early March the last time, I was half certain a human-beat-machine-after-all line of episode I would follow up.

Now, folks, every wish of mine is now pulverized. AplhaGo crushed the current grandmaster of the game of Go, Lee Sedol of South Korea.

To recap a little, Google's program AlphaGo beat a formal match 5-0 against the reigning 3-times European Champion Fan Hul for the first program to outplay a professional Go player. Another 5-game challenge match was slated then to be "the ultimate challenge" as Google called it.

Thew game 1 started at 13:00 March 8th at Seoul's Four Seasons Hotel. The match was commentated by 9-dan Michael Redmond from Japan who, by the way, is the only professional Western Go player to attain 9-dan status.

Put in a nutshell, the game was a landslide victory by AlphaGo. Close games in Go are meticulously counted by the points gained. This game was lopsided. It was a "resign" as in the game of chess. I studied the record of the game and confirmed Lee Sedol's hands up way high.

What a shame!