Question

Artificial intelligence: Google’s AlphaGo beats Go master Lee Se-dol

A computer program has beaten a master Go player 3-0 in a best-of-five competition, in what is seen as a landmark moment for artificial intelligence (人工智能).

Google‟s AlphaGo program was playing against Lee Se-dol in Seoul, in South Korea.

Mr Lee had been confident he would win before the competition started.

“AlphaGo played consistently (稳定地) from beginning to the end while Lee, as he is only human, showed some mental weakness,” one of Lee’s coaches, Kwon Kap-Yong, told the AFP news agency.

Mr Lee is considered as a successful Go player, having won many competitions in his career.

Go is a game of two players who take turns putting black or white stones on a 19-by-19 grid (棋格). Players win by surrounding their competitors pieces with their own.

In the first game of the series (系列赛), AlphaGo won by a very small chance – Mr Lee had led for most of the match, but AlphaGo managed to build up a strong lead in its closing stages.

After losing the second match to DeepMind, Lee Se-dol said he was “speechless” adding that the AlphaGo machine played a “nearly perfect game”.

Experts said that Lee Se-dol had brought his “top game” but that AlphaGo had won “in great style”.

The AlphaGo system was developed by British computer company DeepMind which was bought by Google in 2014. It has built up its special skills by studying older games and teasing out so many kinds of ways of play. And, according to DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, it has also spent a lot of time just playing the game.

“It played itself, millions and millions of times and each time got a little better – it learns from its mistakes,” he told the BBC before the matches started.

This good circle of continuous improvement meant the super computer went into the five-match series stronger than when it beat the European player late last year.

Does this mean artificial intelligence is now smarter than us and will kill us humans? Certainly not. AlphaGo doesn‟t care if it wins or loses. Does it mean that artificial intelligence will soon take your job? Possibly you should be more worried about that.

1.What had Lee Se-dol thought about the competition before it started?

A. He would beat AlphaGo.

B. AlphaGo would lead the match.

C. It was hard to tell who would win.

D. AlphaGo would have some weakness.

2.What happened in the first game of the series?

A. Mr Lee won by a very small chance.

B. AlphaGo had led for most of the match.

C. Mr Lee was beaten by AlphaGo finally.

D. AlphaGo built up a strong lead at the beginning.

3.What does the underlined phrase “teasing out” probably mean?

A. Giving out. B. Working out.

C. Running out. D. Pointing out.

4.The writer may agree that ______ in the future.

A. human will be killed by artificial intelligence

B. artificial intelligence will do everything for human

C. people might lose jobs because of artificial intelligence

D. artificial intelligence will be much smarter than human

Answer 1