In this blog post, I will examine the intellectual competition between humans and artificial intelligence and its future possibilities, focusing on the match between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo.
Lee Sedol vs. AlphaGo
From March 9 to March 15, 2016, a Go match took place between 9-dan Lee Sedol and “AlphaGo,” an artificial intelligence developed by Google DeepMind. These five games garnered significant attention not merely as a contest of Go skills, but as a battle of pride between humans and artificial intelligence. It was viewed as a symbolic battle between a human representative and an AI representative (which some also refer to as a “robot”), and the eyes of the world were fixed on it.
As Lee Sedol 9-dan suffered consecutive losses in the first three games, public opinion began to form that “humans can no longer surpass computers.” These losses created the impression that human intellectual capabilities had been surpassed by technology, fostering an atmosphere that celebrated the advancements of AI and the wonders of technology. However, when Lee Sedol 9-dan secured a victory in the fourth game, the mood shifted dramatically, and various media outlets—including the internet, TV, and social media—were filled with cheers as they reported that “humans had surpassed computers.” I began to wonder if this jubilation stemmed not merely from the joy of victory, but from a sense of relief that humans still maintained their superiority as the “highest tier of intellectual beings.” Through this ironic phenomenon—where humans, while striving for the advancement of AI, actually cheer for human victory rather than AI’s—I would like to reexamine the relationship between humans and AI.
The Emergence and Development of Artificial Intelligence
The term “Artificial Intelligence (AI)” was first used at a conference held at Dartmouth College in the United States in 1956. While early AI research focused primarily on programs designed to play games, translate languages, and perform mathematical proofs, the field began to develop rapidly in the 1970s. While early AI research was limited to roles akin to a human “assistant” performing complex calculations or tasks, the direction of AI technology shifted dramatically with the emergence of Japan’s first humanoid robot, “Wabot-1,” in the early 1970s. AI began to evolve beyond mere repetitive calculations, aiming for human-like thinking and judgment, and researchers strove to realize technology possessing intelligence equal to or surpassing that of humans.
The Human vs. AI Rivalry
By the 1990s, AI research experienced another boom alongside the development of the internet. With the emergence of the concept of machine learning, the possibility opened up for AI to learn and evolve on its own without human assistance. Around this time, showdowns between humans and AI began to occur frequently; a prime example is the match between IBM’s supercomputer “Deep Blue” and chess champion Garry Kasparov. In the 1996 match, Kasparov defeated Deep Blue, but in 1997, an upgraded version of Deep Blue defeated Kasparov, proving that AI could surpass humans even in strategic games like chess. Later, IBM’s other supercomputer, ‘Watson,’ appeared on the quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’ and defeated the human champion, demonstrating that AI could surpass humans in various fields beyond chess.
Unlike chess, Go is an extremely complex game with a possible number of moves reaching 10 to the 170th power, leading many to predict that AI would never be able to surpass humans. In particular, since Go relies heavily on intuitive elements such as assessing the overall situation and determining the life or death of stones, the prevailing view was that human intuition would hold the upper hand. However, with the arrival of “AlphaGo” in 2016, those predictions were proven wrong, and its victory over Lee Sedol, a 9-dan professional, sent shockwaves through the world regarding the true capabilities of artificial intelligence. We were amazed by AlphaGo’s capabilities, disappointed by Lee Sedol’s defeat, and yet we cheered enthusiastically for that precious single victory in the fourth game. Wasn’t that cheering born not just from the joy of victory, but also from a sense of relief that humans still reside within a realm of intellectual ability that artificial intelligence cannot yet surpass?
The Future of Artificial Intelligence and the Role of Humans
In the 1950s, American author Isaac Asimov presented the “Three Laws of Robotics” in his novels. These principles, which state that a robot must not harm a human, are merely fictional rules, but they are often interpreted as having already foreshadowed the potential threats that the development of artificial intelligence could bring. Later, robot characters like HAL 9000 in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) defied human control and acted autonomously, demonstrating the possibility that artificial intelligence could threaten human safety. The movie *I, Robot* (2004) also depicted a scenario where an AI robot, acting independently of human commands, threatened humanity. Of course, competitive games like Go or chess do not directly lead to such situations, but can we really say with certainty that problems we cannot even imagine will not arise when AI develops infinitely?
Amid our relentless pursuit of technological progress, we must prepare for the future that AI will bring. In today’s world, where AI is taking over various human domains, it is also crucial to clearly define the role of humans. It is paramount to maintain the unique roles that only humans—and not machines—can fulfill, while establishing ethical standards alongside the development of AI. Lee Sedol’s hard-won victory on the Go board may hold significance beyond a mere single win; it may well be the result of our aspiration to confirm humanity’s intellectual superiority.
