Why the Final Game Between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol Is Such a Big Deal for Humanity | WIRED

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"For Game Five, under the official rules of the match, the two opponents were set to randomly choose who would play first and who would play second. But then came that moment at the end of the press conference following his victory in Game Four. Lee Sedol turned towards Hassabis and Silver and asked if he could play black in Game Five. To wit, he was asking for the bigger challenge. He was asking for the hurdle he still hasn’t cleared. “I really do hope I can win with black,” he said, “because winning with black is much more valuable.” Hassabis and Silver conferred—ever so briefly—and then granted his wish."

Why the Final Game Between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol Is Such a Big Deal for Humanity | WIRED