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In April 2026, an event occurred that many called historic: the Sony Ace robot, equipped with advanced artificial intelligence, defeated professional table tennis player Mia Kihara. The match was conducted according to all the rules of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). This is the first time a machine has achieved expert-level performance in a real competitive sport — a true breakthrough for the entire robotics industry.

However, despite this triumph, it is premature to talk about total AI dominance. Let's break down where algorithms are truly strong and where humans are still holding the line.

Five iconic machine victories over humans

History knows several key moments when technology surpassed human intellect. Here are the most striking ones:

• 1997 — Chess. The supercomputer Deep Blue defeats world champion Garry Kasparov. The first machine victory in a classic match.
• 2011 — Jeopardy!. The IBM Watson system crushed the best players in this intellectual quiz, demonstrating the ability to process complex language structures.
• 2016 — Go. DeepMind's AlphaGo beat Lee Sedol with a score of 4:1, overcoming the barrier of a game with an astronomical number of possible moves.
• 2017 — Poker. The AI Libratus won over $1.7 million in chips against professionals, proving it could bluff under conditions of incomplete information.
• 2019 — Esports (Dota 2). The OpenAI Five program defeated the world champion team OG live on air, showcasing mastery of team play.

These victories laid the foundation for modern AI technologies, but they also show that machines are strong where there are clear rules and measurable goals.

Humans still win: physical labor and economics

In May 2026, another equally revealing experiment took place. The humanoid robot F.03 from Figure AI competed against an ordinary intern named Aime in sorting packages. The 10-hour marathon was broadcast live.

The task was simple: scan the barcode, lift the box, and place it label-side down on the conveyor belt. The cycle repeated non-stop. The result is striking: Aime processed 12,924 packages, while the robot processed 12,732. The human spent 2.79 seconds per item, the machine 2.83 seconds. And this was despite the employee having legitimate breaks for rest and lunch, while the AI only pulled ahead in the fifth hour when the human stepped away.

To be fair, it is worth noting that by the end of the experiment, the intern had developed calluses and a very tired hand. The robot, however, can work without stopping. Yet the minimal human lead over a short distance does not guarantee long-term machine efficiency. For now, physical labor allows humans to stay ahead, but for office workers, the situation could change much faster.

The economic argument: humans are cheaper than machines

There is also an important economic factor. Today, employers widely acknowledge that hiring people is often more profitable than maintaining AI. Corporate spending on technology is growing too fast. Microsoft has already restricted internal licenses for Claude Code for staff due to token costs, and Uber exhausted its entire AI budget for 2026 in four months. The per-minute cost of computing power often eats up all the savings from workforce optimization.

Expert conclusion: Machines win where algorithms are clearly measurable — in games, in sports with fixed rules. However, in physical labor and financial costs, humans still hold the lead. And as long as computing costs remain high, the human factor will be a critical advantage for businesses.