DeepMind Co-founder Reunites with Lee Sedol Ten Years After “Man vs. Machine” Match

Hassabis stated at an event held by Google in central Seoul, “It’s great to be back here, back to where it all began.” He pointed out that the historic five-game match “marked the beginning of incredible progress in artificial intelligence over the past decade.”

When asked about the 2016 match between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo, the Google executive noted that AlphaGo’s 37th move was the “most astonishing moment,” demonstrating the creativity of artificial intelligence.

In the second game of the 2016 match, AlphaGo made an unconventional “five-point shoulder hit” on its 37th move, widely considered the key to victory, ultimately helping it defeat Lee Sedol.

Hassabis said that this creativity of artificial intelligence could lead to a new “renaissance” for humanity in the field of science, just as it helped him solve the “protein folding problem” that had plagued him for 50 years, ultimately earning him the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

“I think we might even be able to crack all diseases in the next 10 to 20 years. We can use these technologies to improve the environment and develop new energy sources,” he said.

The “father of AlphaGo” also mentioned South Korea’s potential to become a leader in the field of artificial intelligence.

“South Korea excels in everything from chip to robot manufacturing, possessing strong industrial power, first-class universities, and research institutions,” he said. “So I think Korea has all the conditions to become a world leader in artificial intelligence technology.”

Hassabis began his visit to South Korea on Monday, meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and signing a memorandum of understanding for a technology cooperation plan with the South Korean Ministry of Science and Technology.

The executive also met separately with heads of South Korean conglomerates, including LG Group and Hyundai Motor Group.