Google Isn't Playing Games With New Chip

When Google's AlphaGo computer program bested South Korean Go champion Lee Se-dol in March, it took advantage of a secret weapon: a microprocessor chip specially designed by Google. The chip sped up the Go-playing software, allowing it to plot moves in the time-limited match and look further ahead in the game. But the processor, built in secret over the last three years and announced on Wednesday, plays a more strategic role in the company. Google, a division of Alphabet Inc., has been using it for more than a year to...