For the first time, a computer has beaten a world champion in the game of Go.  Google’s DeepMind program defeated grandmaster Lee Sedol after a three and a half hour battle.  This accomplishment was once considered impossible, given the complexity of the game and the sheer number of permutations possible in the game.

What I find most interesting is the change in approach from IBM’s Deep Blue computer that beat chess champion Gary Kasparov in 1997.  Deep Blue could analyze billions of potential future scenarios and pick the most logical and advantageous move at each step of the game.  It essentially used brute force and statistics to pick the best path and stay ahead of Kasparov.