Man — er, teenager — beats machine

January 09, 2024

A Tetris cartridge and controller for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Connect

The AI boom has brought never-ending debate about the limits of human ability. What does it mean to be human? What kinds of tasks are uniquely within our purview and not replicable by machines? Well, on one front in the human vs. machine battle, someone finally beat Tetris – and yes, it was a teenager.

Some 39 years after the release of the landmark Nintendo game in North America, 13-year-old Willis Gibson became the first person to beat the game, taking it to a kill screen, where the game stops functioning. It was long assumed that a human couldn’t take Tetris past 290 lines, but Gibson cleared 1,511 lines of the game in 40 minutes, and he caught it all on video.

Gibson, aka BlueScuti online, recently met the game’s creator, Alexey Pajitnov, and continues to play in Tetris tournaments.

Serbian president name-checks Assad, vows not to flee amid protests

FREIBERG, GERMANY - DECEMBER 10: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) speak to the media following talks over lithium mining on December 10, 2024 in Freiberg, Germany. Germany and Serbia will be cooperating in the sustainable mining of lithium, a critical substance for the production of batteries for electric cars. A company called Zinnwald Lithium GmbH intends to mine up to 15,000 tons of lithium annually in the region of Saxony near Freiberg, enough to build one million electric car batteries. Serbia also has extensive lithium deposits.

(Photo by Sean Gallup - Pool/Getty Images) via Reuters

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Tuesday said he would not flee in the face of demonstrations against his administration.

Israel strikes Syria, Netanyahu goes to court

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu smiles as he prepares to testify in his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv on Dec. 10, 2024.

Menahem Kahana/Pool via Reuters

Israel has launched over 350 airstrikes this week targeting naval bases, ships, ammunition depots, and weapon facilities across Syria, devastating the Syrian Army’s remaining capabilities, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Walmart associates are finding new ways to grow in their careers

Walmart

Walmart provides opportunities for associates to unlock their potential and grow their careers. With a $1 billion investment in career-driven training and development programs, Walmart provides associates with opportunities to grow from hourly roles to salaried management positions. In the past two years, over 300,000 associates have earned promotions into positions with higher pay and greater responsibility. Whether it’s a first job, next step, or second career, there is a path for anyone at Walmart. Learn how Walmart is supporting careers.

How AI can help advance the Sustainable Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean

Microsoft

In October 2023, 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean signed the "Declaración de Santiago," a commitment to responsible AI development tailored to the region's cultural context and needs. Microsoft’s Global Perspectives: Responsible AI Fellows and CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean recently released a report exploring how AI can help achieve the UN SDGs. From health and wellness to gender equality and sustainable tourism, AI is unlocking solutions to longstanding challenges. Learn more.

Macron works to end France’s political deadlock

Marine Tondelier, of Les Ecologistes party, talks to journalists next to colleagues as they leave a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Dec. 10. They had met with the French president as part of consultations aimed at appointing a new prime minister.

REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

On Tuesday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron hosted a meeting with the leaders of center, center-right, and center-left political parties at the Elysee Palace in a bid to end France’s political crisis by building support for a new prime minister and a 2025 budget.

Can Trump's tariff plan boost the US economy?

- YouTube

youtu.be

President-elect Donald Trump has made no secret of his love of tariffs, vowing steep import taxes on China, Mexico, Canada, and almost every product that crosses the US border on his first day in office. Will they boost US jobs and manufacturing, as Trump promises, or lead to rising inflation, as many economists warn? On GZERO World, Oren Cass, founder and chief economist at conservative think tank American Compass, joins Ian Bremmer for an in-depth discussion about Trump’s tariff plan and the future of US-China trade policy.

Man — er, teenager — beats machine

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Man — er, teenager — beats machine

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Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has wanted this for years -- but what could go wrong?

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Tuesday said he would not flee in the face of demonstrations against his administration.

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Israel has launched over 350 airstrikes this week targeting naval bases, ships, ammunition depots, and weapon facilities across Syria, devastating the Syrian Army’s remaining capabilities, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

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Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

On Tuesday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron hosted a meeting with the leaders of center, center-right, and center-left political parties at the Elysee Palace in a bid to end France’s political crisis by building support for a new prime minister and a 2025 budget.