Google’s Go computer ‘cannot be beaten’ so South Korean master Lee Se-Dol has quit playing the Chinese strategy game
- The 18-time world Go champion lost all but one encounter with AlphaGo in 2016 but remains the only person to have won a game against the algorithm
- Go originated in China 3,000 years ago and has been played for centuries – mostly in China, Japan and South Korea
The only human ever to beat Google’s computer algorithm at the ancient Chinese strategy game Go decided to retire because he is convinced machines “cannot be defeated”, according to media reports on Wednesday.
The 18-time world Go champion lost all but one encounter in the series but remains the only person to have won a game against AlphaGo.
The machines have since developed much further – an updated self-teaching version of the algorithm beat its predecessor 100 games to none.
“Even if I become the number one, there is an entity that cannot be defeated,” Lee, 36, told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
“With the debut of AI in Go games, I’ve realised that I’m not at the top even if I become the number one,” added Lee, who retired from professional Go competition last week.
