Core reading
Since the "man-machine war" in 2016, the influence of artificial intelligence on the world of Go is unprecedented. Breaking stereotypes, studying layout, interpreting trends, and assisting training … … Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more involved in the field of Go. Players’ chess skills have been generally improved, training teachers have been reinforced by the situation, and the promotion of running games has gone to the cloud, and the explanation of watching games is more intuitive … … With the extensive application of new technologies, Go and artificial intelligence have joined hands to create a new situation.
On September 1st, 2020, the first stage of China Men’s Go League was over. In eight rounds, no player or team remained unbeaten. The pattern is no longer strong and weak, and the competition is more suspenseful. Behind this is the overall improvement of the players’ strength. "It is a good phenomenon that there is no victory. The game is very intense and the level is very close." "Chess Saint" Nie Weiping commented after the game.
This change is not unrelated to the help of Go artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years. Breaking stereotypes, studying layout, interpreting trends, and assisting training … … With the increasing participation of artificial intelligence in the field of Go, the human brain and computer are constantly learning from each other. According to industry insiders, compared with before artificial intelligence was integrated into the field of Go, the strength of professional players generally improved a lot.
Artificial intelligence is widely used in auxiliary training.
In the seventh round of encirclement, the two players who ranked first in Go in China and South Korea lost at the same time. China’s "seven-time champion" Ke Jie’s 15-game winning streak came to an abrupt end; South Korea’s "post-00" world champion Shen Zhenluan’s five-game winning streak has also come to an end. Just a few days ago, these two players just set a new record on the Goratings World Go Rating List — — Shen Zhen’s score reached an unprecedented 3,800, and Ke Jie’s score of 3,723 also set a new personal high.
Since the man-machine war between Li Shishi and Alpha Go in 2016, the impact of artificial intelligence on Go is unprecedented. The computer’s precise calculation, learning ability and layout are jaw-dropping. Today’s Go AI software can even make the two sons compete with the top human masters. "Deep powerlessness" once pervaded the professional chess world.
It has long been a compulsory course for professional players to use AI as technical guidance and study different "problem-solving ideas". China Weiqi Team and Tencent Intelligent Weiqi "Jueyi" renewed their contract until 2022. By providing auxiliary functions such as chess splitting, winning rate, coincidence degree and situation analysis, the special training AI has assumed multiple roles such as coach, sparring partner and chess friend. Before the competition, chess players often use AI to make targeted preparations.
The "post-90 s" players were the first to grow up through "online chess", and now it’s time to come to the new node of AI. The equalization of training resources has gradually narrowed the gap between new and old players. Young people who are new to professional chess are not short of opportunities to compete with masters, and the growth rate of "post-00" players is further accelerated. "Now every game of chess has become bad. Sitting in front of the board, everyone has similar things. The outcome depends on improvisation and adjustment." China chess player Chen Yaoye said.
Under the trend that chess players generally benefit from artificial intelligence, who can learn more nutrients is more likely to stand out. After Ke Jie’s defeat in the "man-machine war" in Wuzhen, he reconsidered Weiqi, and his core abilities such as overall view and judgment went up a step. As one of the fastest players in South Korea to accept AI, Shen Zhenqi has made a qualitative leap after learning thousands of games with AI a year and improving the layout shortcomings.
AI and professional Go are inseparable. With the help of this springboard, in the past, players’ collective chess moves turned more to collective and AI. "Everyone’s collective research will help to digest the ideas of AI faster, which in turn will help more people accept new changes." Hua Xueming, the leader of China Weiqi team, said.
Chess players’ understanding of Go is constantly updated and expanded.
Artificial intelligence is regarded as a great change that has never happened before in the world of Go. From the initial dissatisfaction and shock, to the frustration and confusion after the defeat, and then to the research and consultation after in-depth understanding, most players have experienced complex emotional changes. Ke Jie once lamented: "Watching AI play chess is like a fairy fight. We can only appreciate and learn."
Fujizawa Hedeyuki, a Japanese Weiqi master, once said that there are a hundred chess skills, but I only know seven. When the wave of artificial intelligence hit, everyone realized more and more that this was not modesty. The previous formula of strokes is often overturned under the thinking of AI, and the players’ understanding of Go is constantly updated and expanded, and more possibilities are found on the chessboard. "For example, many strokes of AI are considered according to the overall situation, and there is no fixed stroke in a local situation. This is a chess improvement." China chess player Shi Yue said.
From opponents to friends, professional chess players and AI find a longer-term way to get along. Ke Jie often analyzes his judgment and understanding through AI, and the data feedback of AI also helps him to absorb and digest it selectively. "I even feel a little dependent on AI, which is something I didn’t dare to think about a few years ago."
In the past years, chess players have often been puzzled by where to win or lose a game of chess. The accurate analysis of AI can help to get close to the correct answer and make people take fewer detours. At the same time, as the mystery of AI is slowly unveiled, players are increasingly discovering that there is no absolute positive solution to Go, and it is impossible for computers to analyze all the changes. In the end, the competition is still different understandings of chess.
When the smoke of AI attacking the "last piece of wisdom highland" of mankind is exhausted, the technological changes and the impact of ideas have not damaged the charm of Go, but have brought opportunities to promote the project. After all, the game between people and the emotional and psychological wits of both sides are still beyond AI’s satisfaction at this stage. In other words, artificial intelligence just allows us to treat Go in a smarter way.
New technology is integrated into all links of Go.
Before the start of men’s armor this season, the Chinese Go Association held the first online warm-up match in history. With the help of science and technology, the face-to-face "hand talk" of AI practicing chess and "cloud" training, which has been inherited for thousands of years, presents a different look.
What AI has changed is not only the professional masters in the stadium. In the past, some ordinary chess fans didn’t understand the complicated calculation on the chessboard. Now, with the artificial intelligence explanation and auxiliary game watching system, even "amateurs" can see the situation and win or lose at a glance through the data and judgment fed back by AI, and watch the game more intuitively.
For a long time after "Alpha Go" was born, AI Go software was only a scientific research project of big companies. Today, AI is already a tool that ordinary chess fans can control. Among all kinds of game software developed by the people, there are not only publicly sold software, but also many open source software that anyone can download and use, and even some "technical stream" chess fans personally adapt the software.
The teacher problem that once plagued the Weiqi training industry has also been alleviated by using AI as a teaching tool. The "artificial intelligence characteristic curriculum system" that appeared in the past two years has fully stimulated the interest of young people in learning chess and can improve their chess skills in a relatively short period of time. Competition, study, training, training, research and explanation … … The shadow of artificial intelligence has appeared in every link of Go, and it has become a tool to "stimulate human potential".
Of course, the infiltration of artificial intelligence also brings some "side effects". This year, affected by the epidemic, a large number of Go games were transferred to online. The readily available game software, the game environment that can’t be supervised in real time, and the AI tricks that are difficult to define clearly make the threshold for online cheating lower and lower. Insiders admit that although there are some technical firewalls, there are still dead ends and loopholes, and some "suspected cheating" can’t catch the "real hammer" in time. China Weiqi Association revealed that in the future, anti-AI cheating measures will be improved and the environment will be purified in official competitions through information blocking, space monitoring, using traces, coincidence analysis and dishonesty punishment.
Even though artificial intelligence is a "double-edged sword", the fallen chess pieces are ultimately in the hands of human beings. As long as the new technology is "controlled and served by people", there is no reason not to try to learn and apply it. Walking with artificial intelligence, the profound world of Go has not been eclipsed, but it has opened up a new situation and has a better chance to bloom brilliantly.