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In the first of a series of games pitting Google's AI computer against a human world champion in the ancient game of Go, Google DeepMind's AlphaGo program has narrowly taken Round 1 from Lee Sedol.

Sedol resigned with more than 28 minutes remaining on his clock, after a game that included 186 moves. The game was played in Sedol's native South Korea, the first in a five-game match that carries a prize of about $1 million.


"I was very surprised," Lee said after the match, according to 

. "I didn't expect to lose. [But] I didn't think AlphaGo would play the game in such a perfect manner."


Sedol and AlphaGo will play four more times in the next week, taking breaks on Friday and Monday. You can watch their first game — and hear analysis of the strategies involved — on DeepMind's YouTube channel.

In it, Sedol is seen rubbing his neck and scratching his head as the close match progresses. In the end, he carefully analyzed the board before deciding to resign. Sedol then moved several pieces around on the board, running through simulations of what might have happened if he had played differently.

The win is the latest sign that a computer can make complex choices to defeat an elite human competitor in Go, a game that's seen as being tougher than chess. Last October, AlphaGo beat European champion Fan Hui, but he isn't ranked on Sedol's level.

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"They were neck-and-neck for its entirety, in a game filled with complex fighting," according to a recap. The five-game match will continue through the weekend.

Google's AI program beats human world champ in game of Go

Go Deeper.

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