Computer Chess : The Drosophila of Computing

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become quite popular recently. From the basis of sci-fi plots in movies like Terminator or Ex-Machina, to real-world applications like IBM’s Watson or Deep Blue, or AI that can create music, AI is undeniably significant. Important people have even weighed in on AI, with Stephen Hawking saying that AI will be “either the best, or worst thing, ever to happen to humanity.” We are even to the point where companies like Google are experimenting with neural networks that perform their own encryption and decryption. All of these different forms of AI, whether rooted in fictional stories or not, raise different ethical questions. With the rising influence of computing alongside AI advancement in the modern world, ethical questions concerning the development and use of these newer technologies require debate. As modern day computing began to take off, the game of chess played a significant role towards pushing the boundaries of computing. After all, could such a complex game be taken to the next level and be played by a machine? If so, to what extent? In attempts to find the answers, chess served as a way to explore and research early computing and more specifically, constructing an intelligent machine. The advancement of Artificial Intelligence through chess is good for the progression of AI and in turn the future of computing. Chess has played a vital role in the creation of computer science and should regain its role as the boundaries of modern computing continue to be pushed.