AI Helps Humans Level Up: Chess players and programmers now have access to tools that can improve skills and unleash creativity

Abstract

Back in the mid-1970s, IEEE Spectrum senior editor Phil Ross played one of the first chess programs capable of vanquishing humans. He capitulated quickly-too quickly, it turned out: Although the program that beat him was good at openings and the middle game, it was terrible at the end game. Fast forward 50 years and the highest-ranked chess players in the world are AIs, with humans trailing far behind.