Skip to main content
Join the AGA Sign In

News / Articles

Your Move/Readers Write: An IBM CTO Responds to Scottish Neural Network

Published on 12/20/2014
“It's interesting to read about the work of University of Edinburgh to use machine learning to improve the level of playing in computers, (Scottish Neural Network Takes Computer Go to Next Level 12/16/2014 EJ)” writes Nin Lei, Distinguished Engineer and CTO, Analytics and Big Data, STG IBM Systems and Technology Group. “However, the title in their article creates an impression that their research is creating a program that can beat the best human players. If their probability of guessing their next move is only 44%, then their chance of guessing it wrong is 56%.  In a sequence of 10 moves, the chance of getting the complete sequence correctly is 0.44 ** 10, which is a very small number.” Noting that checkers “has been solved via machine learning,” Lei says that “it appears it is promising for go as well.” But because machine learning predicates that there is a pattern in the underlying data set, Lei warns that “it could be so complex that machine learning can only attain a certain level of accuracy.  It seems to me a program needs to have very high level of accuracy before it can play a good game at strong human level.” Lei also says that “Since machine learning is based on pattern recognition, I wonder if a professional can trick the program by using moves that may not be optimally locally but will create patterns that the program has not seen before. I applaud the work they are doing,” Lei concludes. “It is innovative by using a different approach than the existing strong computer programs.  It will be interesting to find out if someday they can come up with an algorithm that can improve the accuracy significantly.” 12/22: the chance of getting the complete sequence correctly has been corrected to 0.44 ** 10 (from 0.56).  
Return to Previous Page

Menu Links

Learn to Play Go Find a Club Events Calendar News Go Congress Ratings

Site Search

Other Links

About the AGA American Go Foundation Youth Tournaments Forums ElectionsAGA Code of Conduct Documents Archived Website Terms of UsePrivacy Policy

Get the AGA E-Journal

Get important Go news from the AGA, links to upcoming events and new blog posts.
Subscribe/Unsubscribe

Make a Donation to the AGA

The AGA runs on the generosity of people like you
Donate Today
1997-2022 American Go Association
Powered by ClubExpress
Email Us
contact@usgo.org
Watch our livestreams

Follow us on social media