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History Illustrated: How AI beat us at our own game

Playing games is serious business for artificial intelligence and the evolution of lifelike bots like ChatGPT.

How A.I. beat us at our own game
By Danylo Hawaleshka
Published On 3 Apr 2023

History Illustrated is a weekly series of insightful perspectives that puts news events and current affairs into an historical context using graphics generated with artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence has become so smart that it can now beat us at our own games.
Artificial intelligence has become so smart that it can now beat us at our own games.
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Today, game play is used to measure artificial intelligence, a term coined by John McCarthy in 1955.
Today, game play is used to measure artificial intelligence, a term coined by John McCarthy in 1955.
Arthur Samuel popularised ‘machine learning’ in ’59, with a checkers program that got better as it played
Arthur Samuel popularised "machine learning" in ’59 with a checkers program that got better as it played.
In 1990, Chinook became the first A.I. to play checkers in a human world championship, and won in ’94.
In 1990, Chinook became the first AI to play checkers in a human world championship, and won in ’94.
A.I. hit a milestone in ’96 when IBM’s Deep Blue for the first time defeated a chess world champ, Gary Kasparov.
AI hit a milestone in ’96 when IBM’s Deep Blue for the first time defeated a chess world champ, Gary Kasparov.
IBM’s Watson learned English and answered questions so well it beat two of the best players of the quiz show Jeopardy! in 2011.
IBM’s Watson learned English and answered questions so well it beat two of the best players of the quiz show Jeopardy! in 2011.
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In 2013, DeepMind took on Atari and won, based only on what it saw, and being told to maximise the score.
In 2013, DeepMind took on Atari and won, based only on what it saw, and being told to maximise the score.
In human vs. machine, people can crack. AlphaGo, in 2016, beat Go virtuoso Lee Sedol, who as a result retired.
In human vs machine, people can crack. AlphaGo, in 2016, beat Go virtuoso Lee Sedol, who as a result retired.
Today, success in gaming has led us to ChatGPT. The bot is so eerily human, it makes you wonder if A.I. will ever have a mind of its own.
Today, success in gaming has led us to ChatGPT. The bot is so eerily human, it makes you wonder if AI will ever have a mind of its own.