AI trumps humans again after online Go master revealed to be Google programme

Artificial intelligence has already beaten human masters of strategic board game 60 times over the past week

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Lee Sedol, one of the greatest modern players of Go, makes a move during the Google DeepMind Challenge Match against Google-developed supercomputer AlphaGo on March 12, 2016. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:30pm, 5 Jan 2017Updated: 11:21pm, 5 Jan 2017

Artificial intelligence has scored another milestone victory over humans, after Google-controlled AI developer DeepMind revealed the identity behind a recent secret online winner in the world of Go.

Speculations were put to rest by the confirmation posted on Twitter by DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis on Thursday that a 60-time winner with the online alias of “Master” is an improved version of AlphaGo.

AlphaGo made news headlines in January 2016 after beating South Korean’s 9-dan professional player Lee Sedol, one of the best Go masters in the world, in a five-game match. Lee later said in an interview that he was shocked at how perfectly AlphaGo performed.

Racking up victories over 60 contestants over the past week in a fast-paced version of the ancient game of strategy, Master’s victims included top names.

Ke Jie, China’s No 1 player, was sceptical when AlphaGo defeated Lee.

DeepMind founder and CEO Demis Hassabis attends a press conference after the Google DeepMind Challenge Match between South Korean professional Go player Lee Sedol and Google's artificial intelligence programme, AlphaGo, in Seoul, on March 9, 2016. AlphaGo defeated its human opponent, South Korean Go champion Lee Sedol, in the first game of a historic five-game match between human and computer.Photo: AP

“AlphaGo can defeat Lee Sedol, it can’t defeat me,” The 19-year-old grandmaster once boasted on Weibo, China’s popular Twitter-like social platform.