Can artificial intelligence surpass not only human logical thinking but also creativity? AlphaGo’s emergence made us rethink AI’s potential and limitations beyond simple technological innovation. Let’s explore the changes brought by deep learning and the future of AI together.
In 2016, AlphaGo, a Go program developed by Google DeepMind, created a globally significant event. AlphaGo achieved a record of 4 wins and 1 loss in its match against Lee Sedol, the legendary 9-dan Go player. This marked the first time in Go history that an AI defeated a professional player. Go was considered a game where AI would struggle to beat professionals compared to chess. The reason is that while chess is played on a limited 8×8 board with fixed pieces, Go requires considering countless possibilities on a vast 19×19 grid. Calculating all possible moves on these 361 squares requires an enormous computational effort, a task impossible for simple algorithms.
However, AlphaGo overcame this challenge thanks to a new AI (Artificial Intelligence) algorithm called deep learning, enabling it to defeat the world’s strongest Go player. Deep learning is the product of approximately 50 years of AI development, employing an innovative method incomparable to existing algorithms. The history of AI traces back to the mid-20th century, originating from the concept of artificial intelligence proposed by ‘Alan Turing’. Turing’s theory, famously associated with the Turing Test, later became the cornerstone of early AI research, including programs for mathematical proofs and chess-playing programs. However, computers at the time lacked sufficient computational power, inevitably reaching their limits with algorithms that simply calculated every possible scenario.
To overcome these limitations, researchers explored various approaches, one of which was the algorithm known as machine learning. Unlike traditional algorithms that deal with fixed relationships between inputs and outputs, machine learning adopts a method where programs learn from diverse data to discover rules and patterns on their own. In particular, the development of various learning methods—such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning—dramatically improved AI performance.
In the case of AlphaGo, it learned Go by analyzing approximately 30 million professional game records. During this process, it learned the basic rules of Go from the records through supervised learning and autonomously acquired standard moves and response strategies for each situation through self-learning. Finally, through reinforcement learning, it gained the ability to evaluate the win rate of each move and select the move with the highest probability of victory. Thanks to this learning process, AlphaGo reached a level capable of defeating Lee Sedol, a 9-dan professional.
Deep learning is a further advanced form of artificial neural network algorithms based on this machine learning. Artificial neural network algorithms mimic the way biological neurons connect, deriving results through multiple processes. While early neural networks had limitations, deep learning improved flexibility by stacking these processes into multiple layers. Furthermore, advancements in modern computing power enabled the massive computational demands of deep learning, establishing this algorithm as a core technology in AI research.
The resurgence of deep learning has ushered in a new golden age for AI. Once prominent but soon entering a dark age, AI now shows renewed promise. AlphaGo’s success demonstrated AI’s capability to solve complex problems, opening new horizons for AI research. Prospects are emerging that the day when AI possesses human-like cognitive abilities may not be far off. AlphaGo’s emergence was a significant milestone, demonstrating that artificial intelligence had advanced to a level where it could genuinely compete with humans, far beyond merely changing the world of Go.
Thus, AlphaGo remains a symbolic entity that realized the potential of AI humanity had long dreamed of, transcending a mere technical achievement. Considering that the development of artificial intelligence is only just beginning, the impact AI will have on our society in the future is almost unimaginable.
Expectations continue to grow regarding how far the fusion of human creativity and technology can go, and what changes it will bring to human life. The future of AI is being shaped even as we speak, and we stand at the center of this transformation.
