Don't fear intelligent machines. Work with them | Garry Kasparov

Summary

In this talk, the speaker reflects on his experiences as a chess champion, particularly his historic matches against IBM's Deep Blue. He discusses the evolution of human versus machine competition, the fear and fascination it elicits, and the eventual realization that combining human intuition with machine power leads to superior outcomes. The speaker advocates for embracing technology to enhance human capabilities, emphasizing that our dreams and ambitions are what truly define our humanity.

Takeaways

• 🏆 The speaker became the World Chess Champion at 22 by defeating Anatoly Karpov and later faced computers in chess matches, symbolizing the human vs. machine competition.
• 🤖 Early in his career, he easily defeated 32 chess-playing machines, reflecting the perceived weakness of technology at the time.
• 📈 Technology advanced rapidly, and 12 years post his initial victories, he found himself in a challenging match against a single computer, Deep Blue, representing a significant shift in machine capabilities.
• 🧠 The historical narrative of humanity versus technology is a common theme, with examples like the folk legend of John Henry racing against a steam-powered hammer.
• 👾 There's a pervasive fear that machines will replace humans in jobs and roles, as depicted in media and often discussed in society.
• 🎲 Despite losing to Deep Blue, the speaker argues that it was not intelligent in the way that computer science pioneers had envisioned, but rather a triumph of processing power and algorithms.
• 🤝 The concept of 'Advanced Chess' was introduced, where humans and machines play together, combining human intuition with machine calculation, leading to a superior outcome.
• 🏅 In a freestyle chess tournament, amateur players using three ordinary PCs outperformed grandmasters and supercomputers, showing the power of effective human-machine collaboration.
• 🚀 The speaker advocates for better interfaces and processes to enhance machine intelligence and improve human-machine cooperation.
• 🌟 He concludes that machines are tools that can help us achieve our grandest dreams, and our humanity is defined by our ability to dream, not by specific skills like playing chess.

Q & A

In what year did the speaker become the World Chess Champion?

The speaker became the World Chess Champion in 1985.

What was the significance of the speaker's simultaneous exhibition against 32 chess-playing machines?

The significance of the speaker's simultaneous exhibition was that it demonstrated the superiority of human intelligence over machines at that time, as he won all the games.

What was the title of the match where the speaker competed against a computer 12 years after becoming the World Chess Champion?

The title of the match was 'The Brain's Last Stand' as mentioned by the cover of 'Newsweek'.

Who is John Henry in the context of the speech?

John Henry is a figure from a 19th-century African American folk legend, who raced against a steam-powered hammer and symbolizes the historical narrative of humanity versus technology.

What was the outcome of the speaker's first match against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue?

The speaker won the first match against Deep Blue in Philadelphia.

How did the speaker describe the victory of Deep Blue over him in 1997?

The speaker described Deep Blue's victory as a triumph of its human creators and a reminder that machines' triumphs are human triumphs.

What was the speaker's opinion on Deep Blue's intelligence?

The speaker believed that Deep Blue was not intelligent in the way that Alan Turing and other computer scientists had hoped, as it won by brute force rather than providing insight into human intelligence.

What is 'Advanced Chess' as introduced by the speaker?

Advanced Chess is a concept where a human player combines their intuition and strategy with a machine's calculation and tactics to play chess, aiming for a superior outcome.

What was the surprising result of the 2005 freestyle chess tournament?

The surprising result was that the winners were not grandmasters or a supercomputer, but a pair of amateur American chess players who effectively coached their machines.

What does the speaker believe is the key to combining human and machine strengths effectively?

The speaker believes that better interfaces and processes are needed to coach machines towards more useful intelligence, which is key to effectively combining human and machine strengths.

What is the speaker's view on the future of professions with the advancement of intelligent machines?

The speaker views the advancement of intelligent machines as excellent news and believes that every profession will have to adapt to these pressures, as it signifies humanity's progress.