Victory to the machines - again. Google's AlphaGo software has defeated human Go grandmaster Lee Sedol 4-1 in a five-game series. Despite Lee coming back to win the fourth game (see page 21), for many the realisation of what was taking place was stark. "I didn't think AlphaGo would play the game in such a perfect manner," Lee admitted in shock. The showdown has drawn eyes from around the world -30 million people watched it in China alone. Like Deep Blue checkmating chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, or Watson answering questions onjeopardy!, it represents a milestone in our relationship with machines. But it is also a sign of things to come. The machine learning techniques behind AlphaGo are driving breakthroughs in many fields. Neural networks are software models, built from multiple layers of interlinked artificial neurons, that can learn and adapt based on the data they process. They drive everything from facial recognition software on your phone to virtual assistants like Apple's Siri and software that diagnoses disease.
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