The era of young shogi pro Fujii is here, but so is the era of AI in changing the game

The record-setting winning streak of a 14-year-old shogi sensation has turned the spotlight on another new phenomenon shaking up the centuries-old Japanese board game -- the use of artificial intelligence to improve players' skills. Sota Fujii, a junior high school student from Seto, Aichi Prefecture, set the all-time record for 29 consecutive victories on Monday, beating Yasuhiro Masuda, a 19-year-old pro. Fujii's victory "symbolizes the beginning of a new era," said Yoshiharu Habu, a shogi legend and ninth dan who became the first player to sweep all seven major titles of the game in 1996, describing it as "a historic feat." And similar to the games chess and go, advanced shogi players, including Fujii, have turned to high-tech machines and computers, utilizing software to brush up their skills. The Japan Shogi Association began organizing matches between top pros and AI-equipped robots in 2012.