Photo: IBMIn the end we didn’t really solve it by quote, unquote "digging into the essence of human intelligence." ▲
Photo: IBMWe did it by, essentially, engineering. ▲
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Photo: Jeff Christensen/ReutersWhen we played against Kasparov, brute force actually pushes through. But in reality, if you look deeper there are a lot of selective elements in there. ▲
Photo: Kathy Willens/AP PhotoDeep Blue at the time we were playing against Kasparov [was] essentially two big box[es]... ▲
Photo: James the photographer/Flickr...each one the size of a large refrigerator—a little bit taller than Kasparov, so Kasparov can fit in. ▲
Photo: Gaby Jalbert/iStockphotoIt had 30 work stations in that box. Thirty in each box, and there were two big box[es], so… ▲
Photo: Gaby Jalbert/iStockphoto...the total of 60, basically, of what’s equivalent to today’s desktop machine. ▲
Photo: Gaby Jalbert/iStockphotoEach of these so-called workstations, back in those days, has... ▲
Photo: IBM...one card that has eight chips on it. Each chip essentially... ▲
Illustration: Mickey HackmanGiven the situation, he finds another way to win. ▲
Illustration: Mickey HackmanDeep Blue, meanwhile, is just a tool. It just knows... ▲
Illustration: Mickey Hackman...one thing. It did that one thing really well. ▲
Illustration: Mickey HackmanGet the wire kicked off and it just unplugs. ▲
Illustration: Mickey HackmanNo power. Boom. ▲
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Illustration: Felix Möckel/iStockphotoFor artificial intelligence, one key lesson is sometimes you don’t necessarily have to follow what humans [do]. It’s sometimes easy to do what computers are good at. ▲
Illustration: Guido Vrola/iStockphotoIt’s all a matter of imagination. ▲
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When Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov in 1997, it was a shock to most—but not to those who had closely watched the development of chess computers over the previous 50 years. IEEE Spectrum talked to one of Deep Blue’s creators, Feng-Hsiung Hsu, and AI specialist and computer-chess historian Monty Newborn about the special place of chess computers in the history of computer programming and their role in our understanding of the human brain.
IEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the IEEE — the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences. Our articles, podcasts, and infographics inform our readers about developments in technology, engineering, and science.
IEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the IEEE — the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences. Our articles, podcasts, and infographics inform our readers about developments in technology, engineering, and science.