Psychological factors played a role in a Go champion's recent loss to AlphaGo, Google's computer program, in their first face-off, an historic five-game match, said Chang Zhenming, former president of the International Go Federation, at the sidelines of the ongoing session of China's top political advisory body in Beijing on Wednesday.

Chang Zhenming, former president of the International Go Federation, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the chairman of CITIC Group. [Photo / China.org.cn]

"South Korean Go champion Lee Sedol's loss to Google's computer program was attributed to a lack of understanding of his opponent," noted Chang, also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the chairman of CITIC Group, who views mutual understanding and stable performance as essential in this competitive sports game.

AlphaGo's victory in playing the ancient Chinese board game demonstrates the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and was a shock to Go fans who were mostly confident that the 33-year world champion would win the game.

"I had watched several of AlphaGo's games before, but this time, its performance was much improved," Chang told a group of reporters, explaining that improvements in big data, computer technology and the constant revision of its programs were accountable for AI's bottleneck development.

However, he added that the computer could not match humanity's innovative capabilities or creativity, and expressed confidence regarding Lee's final victory.

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