Man — er, teenager — beats machine

January 09, 2024

A Tetris cartridge and controller for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Connect

The AI boom has brought never-ending debate about the limits of human ability. What does it mean to be human? What kinds of tasks are uniquely within our purview and not replicable by machines? Well, on one front in the human vs. machine battle, someone finally beat Tetris – and yes, it was a teenager.

Some 39 years after the release of the landmark Nintendo game in North America, 13-year-old Willis Gibson became the first person to beat the game, taking it to a kill screen, where the game stops functioning. It was long assumed that a human couldn’t take Tetris past 290 lines, but Gibson cleared 1,511 lines of the game in 40 minutes, and he caught it all on video.

Gibson, aka BlueScuti online, recently met the game’s creator, Alexey Pajitnov, and continues to play in Tetris tournaments.

Hard Numbers: Major hurricane sweeping through Caribbean, Insurgents implement blockade in Mali, Côte d’Ivoire’s octogenarian leader wins again, Diphtheria on the rise

Hurricane Melissa, which has developed into a Category 5 storm, moves north in the Caribbean Sea towards Jamaica and Cuba in a composite satellite image obtained by Reuters on October 27, 2025.

CIRA/NOAA/Handout via REUTERS

30: Hurricane Melissa, which was upgraded over the weekend to a Category 5 storm, is expected to hit Jamaica on Monday and bring 30 inches of rain and 165-mph winds, in what will be one of the most intense storms to ever hit the island.

Trump’s Asian trade blitz sets up sitdown with Xi

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh as East Timor's Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao and Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong look on at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26, 2025.

Vincent Thian/Pool via REUTERS

The US president signed a raft of trade deals on Sunday at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, but the main event of his Asia trip will be his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Man — er, teenager — beats machine

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The US president signed a raft of trade deals on Sunday at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, but the main event of his Asia trip will be his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Man — er, teenager — beats machine

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Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

Tensions between the US and China are back in the spotlight as Trump and Xi prepare to meet in South Korea.

The US president imposed sanctions on the two largest Russian oil firms. The effectiveness of this strategy depends on whether it forces China and India to stop buying Russian crude.

GZERO MEDIA IS THE GO-TO SOURCE FOR NONPARTISAN NEWS AND INSIGHT AROUND THE WORLD

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

The real US-China AI race isn’t about who builds the most powerful technology, but who applies and governs it in ways that strengthen—rather than undermine—society, Tristan Harris tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

A new set of forces is distorting the economy's response mechanisms and muting the traditional cycle. Listen to Strategic Alternatives, the RBC Capital Markets podcast, to hear Chief Economist Frances Donald break down what it means for companies, investors, and policymakers.

While President Trump’s demolition of the White House East Wing dominates the headlines, Ian Bremmer says bigger stories are being overlooked.

30: Hurricane Melissa, which was upgraded over the weekend to a Category 5 storm, is expected to hit Jamaica on Monday and bring 30 inches of rain and 165-mph winds, in what will be one of the most intense storms to ever hit the island.

The US president signed a raft of trade deals on Sunday at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, but the main event of his Asia trip will be his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.