AlphaGo: its creator on the computer that learns by thinking

Inventor Demis Hassabis says AlphaGo improved its game after playing itself millions of times - but how can this technological marvel be harnessed?

The computer programme that defeated the world Go champion taught itself how to improve its game by playing millions of matches against itself, according to the head of the Google subsidiary that developed the software.

Demis Hassabis, who co-founded DeepMind - the London-based unit that built the AlphaGo programme, said that he hoped to use the same technique to help Google improve its own products, such as its phone assistants and search engines.