Google's AI(artificial intelligence) algorithm "AlphaGo" that beat one of the best human Go professionals, European Go champion Fan Hui will challenge Korean world champion Lee Se-dol in a historical match in Seoul in March with prize money of $1 million at stake.

"Go," an ancient Chinese game that dates back more than 2,500 years ago has remained a long-time challenge for a computer intelligence even as it has beaten top human players in the games of noughts and crosses, checkers, chess and jeopardy as numeric metrics on the 19x19 board can be infinite.

Previous Go computer software "Crazy Stone" and others released before AlphaGo could only mimic 2 - 6 amateur dan (skill ranks) range players. AlphaGo can play up to the level of professional 5 dan.

Google's AI company DeepMind, the developer of AlphaGo, trained the program to absorb and analyze over 30 million possible moves from the actual games played by various human Go professionals.

An official at the Software Policy and Research Institute (SPRI) said that AlphaGo would have thoroughly studied every move of the professional 9 dan player Lee Se-dol before it sits across him in the March match, predicting an intense game.

Sourced from Maeil Business News Korea