Table tennis is a sport that requires quick reflexes and sharp eyesight. But Ace, an AI-powered robot, has beaten the best players in the game. Developed by Sony AI, Ace won 3 out of 5 matches against elite players, but lost 2 matches against professional players. Ace was able to return complex shots, including spin shots and backhand shots. The matches were played according to official tournament rules, and Ace got better with each match. 'If I used a complex spin serve, Ace would return it with a complex spin, which made it hard for me,' said Rui Takenaka, an elite player who played against Ace. Ace uses multiple cameras to track the ball's position and direction, rather than relying on human eyesight. While there have been table tennis-playing robots since 1983, none have been able to beat professional players before. Ace's performance was a first, and it was monitored by referees according to the rules of the International Table Tennis Federation. Robots are making big progress in sports. For example, on Sunday, robots outran human runners in a half-marathon in Beijing. Did you know that robots can be specially designed to play table tennis? Robots like Ace can help human players improve their skills by playing with them. Table tennis is a sport played by people all around the world. Robots like Ace can help make the sport even more popular. Can you play table tennis against a robot? Robots like Ace are designed to play table tennis, so they can help human players improve their skills by playing with them.