AlphaGo (2017) User Reviews

A good human plus a machine is the best combination

[MplusA92 · 8/10 · 5 January 2018]

This movie is about a board game called "Go", and FYI it's the oldest board game which was invented in China and it's considered more complex than "Chess" although its simple rules and pieces.

However, the movie will not tell you the story behind "Go", but it's about the new forever going conflict between man and machine. And it tried to answer a question of What will happen if AI Go player was an opponent to a human Go player ?

The rhythm of the movie is really good with nice sound effects matching the condition of the scenes, you may feel bored at some points but that will happen very few. You will absolutely download any Go App after watching this movie and you may even love the game of Go.

Finally,it's a good light documentary movie, not too informative that you get bored of and not too cinematic that would get you out of the mood of documentaries.

Unexpectedly gripping

[e_kacsandi · 9/10 · 6 May 2020]

I never played go and am not particularly interested in AI. I didn't expect this documentary to focus on the human implications of these events. Humanity being elevated to a new level by a self-learning machine. Very science-fictiony.

What a surprise!

[scottschnorr · 9/10 · 29 September 2018]

What an amazing day well done film! I recently watched another file, The Surrounding Game about the game of Go and was not sure if I wanted watch another film base on the game. This film was much more than just about a man playing a machine in a board game. What happened was history-making and to have witnessed it unfold in the way that the film presented it was remarkable. At one point in the film, I was even holding back a few years. Very well done!

What does it mean to be human?

[ola-172-728948 · 10/10 · 1 January 2018]

This is an awesome movie about the creation of AlphaGo, the first program that managed to stand up to the best human players of the ancient game of Go. This came out of nowhere, a decade or two before it was expected, and took everyone with surprise. Watch how the players struggle with meeting opposition of a level they had never thought to meet, and the questions it gives rise to. The movie centers around matches that were widely reported in media the world over, so the outlines of the story may be known, but this is nevertheless a very exciting and gripping movie as we watch the story unfold from behind the scenes.

A must watch for anyone who wants to understand artificial intelligence!

[JBreezy84 · 10/10 · 23 January 2018]

The movie was brilliant. I was surprised that it gripped me as much as it did because I didn't know too much about artificial intelligence before this, but there was a real momentum throughout which left me on the edge of my seat. I was struck by the humanity of the AlphaGo team and their compassion for Lee Sedol, but also their pursuit of a technology that could have really beneficial impacts on the world. If you want to get beyond the headlines of terminators taking over the world to find out the real potential of AI, then watch this movie right away! 10/10

A documentary that will make you cry about a game you never knew about

[kbscrank · 10/10 · 29 August 2020]

I knew about Go but not the complexities of the game.

This is more about AI but what it means to be human.

The European champion won my heart

Just thrilling amazing production.

A good look behind the scenes

[claire_smart · 9/10 · 23 January 2018]

I followed the AlphaGo story back in 2016 and I remember thinking it was pretty cool, but I didn't really see the bigger picture at the time. This movie grips you from the very start and takes you behind the scenes of the tournament with Lee Sedol. But it also explains why AlphaGo is such a huge breakthrough, and why AI could one day help us solve some of the biggest problems in the world. I think a lot of people could see this as another man vs. machine story but I don't agree. What stood out for me was the beauty of man with machine and what we can achieve together.

Great watch but misses an important piece

[Frédéric · 6/10 · 22 July 2019]

SPOILER WARNING I liked this feature very much. It gives a grasp to the masses of what machine learning and AI is. Though it does not explain the difference at all. Far from boring with a good suspense all along. I down rated it because it misses to mention a very important set of information: The power that was consumed by AlphaGo: Wikipedia mentions information shared by The Economist: 1920 CPUs and almost 300 GPUs. It would have been much more contrasted to discuss this massive computing power used to challenge Lee Segol , one of the world's best Go players. While we see him quite upset by the outcome, it would have been really respectful to share about that computing power and the related energy that was consumed by the software versus his human brain! Surely AI is way LESS efficient than his brain. I don't know if this was overlooked by the director voluntarily or not. I don't know either who finance this movie. What we know is that this feature ends up being a massive advertising for DeepMind (a Google company). Maybe they helped finance it and possibly had influencing powers to the ultimate story told...

Going to start playing Go!

[clarkabby · 9/10 · 23 January 2018]

I'd never even heard of Go before I watched AlphaGo, but now I'm searching for my nearest Go club! The story goes something like this: London AI company develops an AI (AlphaGo) that beats the European world champ at Go; he loses but is amazed by the way the AI plays; a challenge match is set up between AlphaGo and the best Go player in the world. I won't ruin the ending but you can probably guess! I was completely blown away by AlphaGo's ability to play in a way that even the experts had never expected and for me, that was the most exciting aspect of this whole story. I can't help feeling I just watched history being made...

Beautiful story about AI

[Gedumas · 7/10 · 7 May 2019]

PROS:

• well juxtaposed machine and human brain challenge
• great story with all key milestones: intro, climax, conclusion
• good choice of characters and how are they presented

CONS:

• does not give more details into the Deepmind AlphaGo setup (e.g. how they improved)
• would be curious to see/learn more about he
• presenting better the team and how they work together as it is not one person game

A classic case of man versus machine, without the science fiction.

[louisvcharles · 9/10 · 26 September 2020]

A classic case of man versus machine, without the science fiction. Awesome viewing experience that has you rooting for both sides at various points. Never heard of the game Go before viewing and still have yet to play it, that should be testament to how well the human side of the story is conveyed.

Much more than Man Vs Machine.

[garethcrook · 7/10 · 19 July 2019]

I've never played Go. I need to rectify this. There's a beautiful simplicity to it, but one that's also incredibly complicated. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but perhaps that's why it's considered the ultimate test of AI intelligence. Can a computer beat the best players in the world? There's nothing especially innovative about the film itself, but the story is really interesting, not least in who you root for, human or AI. That's not the only match up though, the human player, world champion Lee Sedol is from South Korea, a place where Go is a huge deal and top players are celebrities, he's playing for national pride as well as his own. The AlphaGo team, for professional pride. There's a lot on the line and the tension is palpable... oh and the match is televised live with millions watching! 80 million in fact. The purists don't believe the AI can overcome the fluidity of the human mind and it's quite amusing to watch perceptions shift and admiration build. I will say that the production is fantastic, cameras everywhere and tons of commentary not only on the game, but on what the outcomes mean, for AI, for humans, for the future, it really pulls you into the magnitude of what's unfolding. There are heartbreaking moments of real upset which is quite remarkable in two worlds of Go and AI that are seemingly on the surface devoid of emotion. The game, the story, the human ingenuity be it direct or via machine is quite remarkable. Human + machine = An exciting future. Now I just need to buy a board.

Very weak opening

[pjhmaree · 1/10 · 7 April 2023]

As someone who is fascinated by Artificial Intelligence and the computability (or non-computability) and the implications this might have on understanding consciousness, I was really looking forward to this. The documentary starts off with someone spewing hyperbole about the game go (do we really think two three year olds are contemplating the meaning of the universe when they're fully immersed in the game?) and then someone else giving a powerpoint presentation (yawn). I could not get past the first three minutes. Or maybe the things are just moving so fast in the AI space that this documentary is already dated?

Putting one's hand on the third rail of the universe

[The_DATo · 10/10 · 2 March 2024]

What is the last numeral in the Pi sequence? What is the meaning of infinity? Where is the transition located between the two views of a wire frame cube? And what has actually taken place when one has played a "God move" in the game of Go - a game whose possible iterations are greater in number than the sum total of all the atoms in the universe?

This documentary enthralled me from start to finish and I am neither a Go player nor someone versed in computer science. It is one of many stories involving mankind's first faltering steps in the development of artificial intelligence. This movie summarizes one of these attempts against the backdrop of what is believed to be mankind's oldest and most difficult strategy game. Perhaps the greatest human mind to have ever played the game of Go is pitted against a computer system which has taught itself to play Go through a process known as "re-enforced learning" in which a program driving a computer played itself through millions of iterations and learned from its mistakes, much the same way as humans do, but with unbelievably greater speed.

The movie demonstrates the greatness and the limitations of both the machine and the man - the greatness and intelligence of the computer scientist, and the greatness, spirit and nobility of the human heart. When watching this movie I was reminded of the legend of John Henry, "a steel driving man" - a man pitted against a machine in an almost superhuman competitive effort of honor and determination.

This movie is probably not for everyone, all I can say is that virtually everyone I have recommended it to in the past has later expressed their sincere gratitude to me for having appraised them of it.

Beautiful and true

[T-xoo · 10/10 · 5 January 2021]

A true experience with A.I. Beautiful and at the same time scary. What human can do in centuries, A.I. Will learn in a couple of months and find ways human will take years to think of. A true story about human intelligence, also, trying to survive and fight the future of machines.

An Absolute masterpiece that doesn't require any background information

[ssneelon · 10/10 · 31 March 2021]

When I first saw this, I thought I would have to learn about Go. But this movie both entertained and educated me. Its beautifully directed.

An AI movie about a discovery of humanity

[tlumimdb · 10/10 · 7 February 2022]

I was awed by the storytelling of man's greatest Go representative initially thinking he is undefeatable vs AI to a progressive Fall from Grace and crushing of his confidence. Just as mankind was feeling hopelessly pitiful versus machine, he and everyone else present then found redemption in the fourth match to squeeze out a miraculous victory by sheer human ingenuity. I almost cried at that moment.

And through this match against the machine he and the rest of the Go community begin to wonder what it even means to be creative in Go. Where the moves he and the rest of the Go community found to be creative, actually just conventional? And the AI moves that he thought were foolish, actually imperceptibly creative and genius? I thought I was watching a documentary about machine learning and AI but instead I found it to be a documentary about humanity.

Perhaps I was most struck by how I could feel both happy and sad at the same time from this documentary. Happy when the arrogant human lost to the AI, but incredibly sad at the same time. Happy that this team of computer science researchers created such a masterpiece, but sad that the Go players who devote their entire lives to Go will never be able to catch up with AI. 3 years after losing to the AI in this film, the Go player retired from Go at the age of ~35y stating that even if he's rank 1 in the world, he will never be able to defeat AI.

Naviety about the game is no impediment to enjoyment.

[Carrzinho · 8/10 · 7 September 2019]

Documentary about the battle between Artificial Intelligence and Man. This time it's the game "Go" that serves as the backdrop. This is a fascinating piece that shows how clever developmentally computers are getting. It reflects on our perception of the hierarchy of man and machine. It questions our value and role in the future and discusses fears. It delves deep into our psyche and self reflection and in the main, the device is the showdown between AI system DeepMind and the legendary Go grandmaster. It's staggering how your and the protagonists loyalties and emotions are swung about when dealing with the opaque, neutral computer program as the games cut and thrust are played out in front of our eyes. The film is very aware that your understanding of the game may be minimal. You find yourself glued to the commentators reactions to button placement. How the AI's winning forecast percentage climbs and drops. You like 95% of those featured, are watching a game played to such a high level it is beyond comprehension and you can share in the emotion of those watching, as you are their equal. It could be said that the drama of the matches was an unforeseen gift but i suspect the editors are so deft and so adept they could have weaved a captivating movie regardless out outcome or sequence of events. The film raises and ponders some very interesting questions. It's very tonally assured, nothing is heavy handed. Talking heads are sparingly used but feel vital. It's also subtlety educational and you will feel more enlightened about the possibilities of AI. EIGHT

although its just a documentary of past events, its unbelievable beautiful

[keypaul-38381 · 10/10 · 27 March 2020]

How much good alphago brough to this art, despite the early suffering it caused, is just amazing. A truely magnificent documentary!

a too human film

[realintheory · 3/10 · 18 February 2018]

Given the subject matter, I thought it ironic that the film went almost entirely for a human centric view. There was little or no explanation of why the Alpha Go program is so ground breaking. It was interesting to see it's effects on the players and creators.. but.. without the context of 'why ?', the film missed a huge point.

Human and machine intercept

[zhuangl · 10/10 · 2 November 2019]

This movie is so much more than a clash between humans and machines. The story brings deep human emotions among world class Go players, the DeepMind team who developed AlphaGo, and the public in general.

WOW Just Wow

[aadairj · 10/10 · 8 August 2021]

British AI company DeepMind engineer an AI program to try and beat the World's best player at the 3000 year old game 'GO'

Full of emotion. Absolutely loved it.

Simply amazing!

[mihai_alexandru_chindris · 8/10 · 30 May 2018]

I love the overview that it gives to the watcher about the subject of artificial intelligence. Although it is still in its infancy, AI has accomplished, so far, major breakthroughs. The DeepMind team behind AlphaGo had an extreme sense of understanding, but through learning and experience, about how this games functions and operates. After all, AI is not truly that artificial, cause it still relies on its human "gene" to develop from a low stage to a better one, further and further.

Fascinating

[Dragon1531 · 22 January 2018]

An emotional story. Really glad I watched AlphaGo, which has the pace and twists and turns of a sports movie - not what I expected from a movie about AI! The team behind AlphaGo seemed really cool and genuinely sad when Lee lost. Would love to see a movie about what happened to AlphaGo after this match!

A very compelling watch.

[visionandyouth · 8/10 · 31 July 2022]

A wonderful mixture of the science of reinforcement learning with the human story of Go. A triumph of human perseverance and the artistic nature of competitive games.