By Ian Sample
Publication Date: 2026-04-22 15:00:00
An AI-powered robot has beaten top players in table tennis – a groundbreaking achievement for a machine competing against a human athlete in a real-world competitive sport.
The robotic system called Ace, developed by Sony AI, won three out of five games against elite players, but lost the two games against professionals and only regained one game in the seven competitions.
The feat was hailed as a milestone for robotics, a field in which table tennis – and the lightning-fast reactions, perception and skills it requires – has long been considered one of the toughest tests of how far the technology has advanced.
In the games played under the official competition rules, Ace demonstrated his mastery of spin, mastering difficult shots such as balls caught in the net, and pulling off a quick backspin shot that a professional would have thought impossible.
A research report on the robot was published in Nature on Wednesday, but scientists working on the project said Ace has improved since the report was submitted….