You Can "Go" Your Own Way

SEOUL, S. KOREA - If it weren't bad enough for South Koreans that the crazy dictator next door just announced there's nothing wrong with arming nuclear warheads, local hero and Go champ, Lee Sedol, just lost to a damn machine. It was only after a couple opening moves that the match became feverishly intense, every move a tightrope balancing act between both players. The middle of the match settled into a brief, slow dance between the pair with their respective pieces drawing symmetrical art through sections of the board.

The final act returned to the stressful strategic maneuvers and eventually Lee Sedol became visibly agitated, rubbing his head, moving around in his chair and twitching his fingers before throwing in the towel by placing his opponent's piece on the board. Indeed, the A.I. AlphaGo not only stayed in the game against the ranking 5th best Go player in the world, but crept up so subtly with his pieces gradually taking over more territory on the board that not even the professional Go player announcer calling the match knew who was ahead when Lee Sedol resigned.

It was a great game. Even though no one on the Futureslaver Investigative Team was knowledgeable about the rules of Go, we all gathered at the monitors watching as nervously as we would watch the Super Bowl. Even the announcer of the live stream cast on YouTube was complaining of anxiety for the last half hour of the bout.

This is indeed a great achievement for Google and their team of A.I. developers, but also great fun to watch. Luckily there are four more matches between these sluggers, so take my advice and check in on the fun.