Google’s co-founder uses the game of Go to explain the future of work
AI may reshape skilled work without erasing it, rewarding human judgment over routine output.
Key takeaways
- Speaking during an unscripted fireside chat at Google DeepMind Build Day at AGI House, Brin pointed to games like Go and said that human achievement has continued to advance after computers surpassed people in those domains.
- Jie was the world's No. 1-ranked Go player when he faced AlphaGo in 2017 and lost all three games, and then retired.
- A recent poll by Quinnipiac University found that 30% of Americans believe AI could make their jobs obsolete.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2026) 'Google’s co-founder uses the game of Go to explain the future of work', 311 Institute, 1 May. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/googles-co-founder-uses-the-game-of-go-to-explain-the-future-of-work/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
As workers worry that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could wipe out jobs en masse, Google cofounder Sergey Brin is offering a different view. Speaking during an unscripted fireside chat at Google DeepMind Build Day at AGI House, Brin pointed to games like Go and said that human achievement has continued to advance after computers surpassed people in those domains.
" … and by the way, since AlphaGo, the game of Go has advanced a lot," said Brin. "The players that played against it, Lee Sedol, became vastly better after, and Ke Jie after he played AlphaGo also. It has pushed the state of the art."
And while Brin is right in one way, the game and how people practise it has changed, he’s missing the fact that increasingly the top players aren’t as creative as they used to be, in fact they all simply seem to copy AI’s moves.
Sedol was one of the world's top Go players and a multiple-time international champion when he won one of five games against AlphaGo, powered by Google DeepMind, in March 2016. Jie was the world's No. 1-ranked Go player when he faced AlphaGo in 2017 and lost all three games, and then retired.
Go is a two-player board game that originated in China, usually played by placing black and white stones on a grid. The goal is to control more territory than the opponent and capture their stones.
"The fact that computers can do things well has actually not stopped humans getting better and better at them, getting more and more recognition and enjoying those things," Brin said. "I think we're going to find AI can do a whole lot of pretty surprising things, but I think they also help advance people in doing it."
Brin's comments also land amid a broader debate about whether AI will replace workers or augment them. A recent poll by Quinnipiac University found that 30% of Americans believe AI could make their jobs obsolete.
While some executives have pointed to AI as a factor in layoffs, many researchers and economists argue that the evidence for widespread AI-driven job losses remains limited. Instead, much of the discussion in Silicon Valley has shifted toward how AI changes the nature of work, allowing people to focus more on judgment, creativity, and decision-making while machines handle routine tasks.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn, and former Google distinguished engineer Kelsey Hightower have all recently said that soft skills like empathy, communication, and relationship-building cannot be replaced by AI. Even though it can be mimicked …
What this means for your organisation
AI can raise the human bar.
Go players improved after facing AlphaGo, according to Brin. Exposure to a stronger machine can push experts to new levels. Firms should use AI as a sparring partner for skilled staff, not only as a replacement.
Copying the machine kills originality.
Many top players now mirror AI moves rather than invent their own. The same risk applies to analysts, designers and strategists who lean on AI suggestions. Reward original thinking, or teams will converge on the same answers as competitors.
Judgement becomes the scarce skill.
Routine tasks are moving to machines while empathy, communication and decisions stay human. Jobs are being unbundled into tasks that AI or people do best. Redesign roles and training around the parts only people can do.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Are we using AI to stretch our experts or to replace their thinking?
- How do we reward original ideas when everyone has the same AI tools?
- Which tasks in key roles should stay human, and why?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Will AI ultimately augment skilled workers or replace them?
The evidence so far points to augmentation, with the highest value shifting toward judgment, creativity, and relationship skills that machines still struggle to mimic.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 1 May 2026. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2026). Google’s co-founder uses the game of Go to explain the future of work. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/googles-co-founder-uses-the-game-of-go-to-explain-the-future-of-work/
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