Move 78

When I think about the historic AlphaGo vs. Lee Sedol match, I think about move 78.

AlphaGo’s move 37 gets most of the attention in AI circles which is understandable. An AI played a move with a 1 in 10000 probability of being played by any human - a superhuman move. This was no doubt an amazing moment in history. But, in an equally amazing turn of events, after being backed into a corner in a subsequent game, Lee Sedol responded with move 78 which also had a 1 in 10000 probability of being played by any human - his own superhuman move. Some even referred to it as “god’s hand”.

While he eventually lost the match, I can’t help but wonder: as AI surpasses us in many ways, what if AI also pulls brilliance out of us in other ways? Can AI push us to play more move 78s? And perhaps in the process we can not only retain, but amplify our agency as humans in a world of accelerating change.