Watch AlphaGo

"AlphaGo" is a documentary film that details the progressions and history of the AI program "AlphaGo" of Google DeepMind. The movie follows the journey of a young, inexperienced Go player as he tests his skills against the artificial intelligence software. The documentary tells the story of AlphaGo's development and how it managed to defeat some of the world's best Go players. It reveals the program's strengths and weaknesses, as well as the controversy and reaction it caused within the Go community.

The film also follows the personal stories of the team behind AlphaGo, including the AI's lead programmer, an AI researcher, and a professional Go player who became AlphaGo's test subject. The characters explore the tension and challenges within the team and between humans and AIs in general.

The movie starts with a brief introduction to the game of Go itself, a strategy game which originated in China over 2,500 years ago, and presents the fascination with the game that has been widespread in East Asian countries. In a world where most games have become heavily gamified and in some way resemble luck, the game of Go remains refreshing due to its simplicity and free entry. Go possesses a lot of artistic features, with the beautiful patterns and possibilities of formations contributing to its popularity.

Following the introduction, the documentary shifts to the AlphaGo challenge, which occurred in 2016 between Lee Sedol, a Go master and 18-time world champion, and the AlphaGo AI program. This is where the film showcases the tension between human intelligence and AI, and the ups and downs of the game as Lee Sedol struggles to defeat the machine.

AlphaGo becomes a formidable player in the game of Go and a formidable force in the field of artificial intelligence. The documentary examines the way the AI team used a mixture of traditional reinforcement learning and deep neural networks to teach the program to play the game of Go. The AI system is shown to be constantly learning during the tournament itself, improving after every game and sometimes making entirely unexpected moves.

The movie also delves into the ethical controversies that arise with the rise of artificial intelligence, including fears of job loss, fairness of competition, and the development of machines that can surpass human intelligence. It shows how people are becoming more accepting of AIs, as well as the ethical issues in designing an AI that people are comfortable interacting with.

The most intriguing thing about the film is the way the AI helps humans redefine what it means to be intelligent. It highlights the distinct talents of both machines and humans, and presents the idea of knowledge and intelligence working together for the betterment of the world.

Throughout "AlphaGo," the filmmakers use engaging visuals to bring the concepts of AI and the game of Go to life. They use animation to illustrate the game rules and board patterns, which helps the viewer with the complexities of the game. The documentary is full of nail-biting gameplay, intense emotion, and thought-provoking conversations that will have you hooked from start to finish.

In conclusion, "AlphaGo" is an extremely informative and engaging film that gives viewers a look into the world of artificial intelligence and the struggles it faces, as well as the challenges faced by the Go players as they compete against the machines. The film raises many philosophical questions about the future of AI and what it means to be intelligent. The movie provides both a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of history's greatest breakthroughs in AI, as well as an inspiring story about a team that overcame the naysayers to achieve something extraordinary.

AlphaGo is a 2017 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.8.