In this blog post, we will examine the intellectual competition between humans and artificial intelligence, as well as 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 Go player Lee Sedol and “AlphaGo,” an artificial intelligence developed by Google DeepMind. These five games attracted significant attention, transcending a simple contest of Go skills to become a battle of pride between humans and AI. 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 defeats 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 echelon of intellectual beings.” Through this ironic phenomenon—where humans enthusiastically support human victory rather than AI victory, even as they strive to advance AI—I aim to reexamine the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.
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 serving as a “helper” for humans in performing complex calculations or tasks, the direction of AI technology shifted dramatically with the emergence of the first humanoid robot, “Wabot-1,” in Japan in the early 1970s. AI began to evolve beyond simple repetitive calculations, aiming for human-like thinking and judgment, and researchers strove to realize technology with intelligence equal to or surpassing that of humans.
The Human vs. AI Showdown
In 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 has the potential to 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 position and determining the life or death of stones, the prevailing view was that human intuition would hold the advantage. However, with the arrival of “AlphaGo” in 2016, those predictions were proven wrong, and its victory over Lee Sedol 9-dan 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 only from the joy of victory but also from a sense of relief that humans still possess intellectual capabilities 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 also interpreted as having 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 AI robots, acting on their own judgment rather than 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 perform, while establishing ethical standards alongside the development of AI. Lee Sedol’s valuable victory on the Go board may have meant more than just a single win; it may have been a result that embodied our desire to confirm humanity’s intellectual superiority.
