Elon Musk and the online chess platform Chess.com engaged in a public dispute this week over whether artificial superintelligence could fully "solve" chess. The exchange began on social media and centered on technical distinctions regarding the number of possible chess positions versus games.
On Thursday, Elon Musk posted that the number of non-'utterly stupid' chess moves is limited and asserted that chess would eventually be "fully solved" by artificial superintelligence. Chess.com responded by reposting Musk’s statement with the phrase 'skill issue.' Musk replied that chess is difficult for humans but straightforward for computers, reiterating his claim that AI would solve chess. Chess.com then countered that the number of possible chess games exceeds the number of atoms in the observable universe, stating that solving chess would require mapping all possibilities. Musk disputed this, asserting that the number of all legal chess positions is approximately 40 orders of magnitude smaller than the number of atoms in the universe. He argued that artificial superintelligence could develop methods to solve and compress the problem beyond current human comprehension.
Both parties acknowledged the accuracy of each other’s numerical claims but noted a semantic distinction: Chess.com referenced possible chess games, while Musk focused on legal chess positions. Musk concluded the exchange with a face-palm emoji, writing, 'Here I am arguing with some random intern at a chess website.' Chess.com’s account replied, 'I'm a full-time employee,' to which Musk responded with a coughing emoji.
The debate highlights differing perspectives on the timeline and feasibility of AI surpassing human-level performance in complex strategic games. Musk’s companies, including those in AI and technology, have not yet achieved dominance in the chess domain, though his remarks reflect broader discussions about AI’s potential to master human endeavors.