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Human Go champion scores 1st win over machine after 3 losses

South Korean professional Go player Lee Sedol puts the first stone against Google's artificial intelligence program, AlphaGo during the fourth match of the Google DeepMind Challenge Match in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Google's Go-playing software defeated a human champion for the third straight time Saturday to clinch the best-of-five series and establish its superiority in an ancient Chinese chess-like game long thought to be the realm of humans. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) South Korean professional Go player Lee Sedol puts the first stone against Google's artificial intelligence program, AlphaGo during the fourth match of the Google DeepMind Challenge Match in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Google's Go-playing software defeated a human champion for the third straight time Saturday to clinch the best-of-five series and establish its superiority in an ancient Chinese chess-like game long thought to be the realm of humans. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

By Associated Press March 13, 2016 1 min read

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – A champion Go player has scored his first win over Go-playing computer software after losing three straight times.

Lee Sedol’s victory Sunday over AlphaGo in the ancient Chinese game served as a reminder that Google’s Go-playing program is not perfect and has room for improvement.

AlphaGo – the first computer system to defeat a top Go player – had already clinched the best-of-five series and the $1 million prize, which will be donated to charity.

South Korean commentators could not hide their excitement three hours into the match when it became clear that Lee would finally notch a win. Go fans whose pride was crushed by the earlier defeats cheered the result.

Prior to the series, Go fans believed that the game would prove too complex for the machine.