Ping-Pong Robot ‘Ace’ Makes History by Beating Top-Level Human Players

An autonomous robot ping-pong player dubbed Ace has achieved a milestone for artificial intelligence and robotics in Tokyo by competing against and sometimes defeating top-level human players at table tennis, a feat that could presage an array of other applications for similarly adept robots.
Published: 4/23/2026, 11:57:31 PM EDT

An autonomous robot ping-pong player dubbed Ace has achieved a milestone for artificial intelligence and robotics in Tokyo by competing against and sometimes defeating top-level human players at table tennis, a feat that could presage an array of other applications for similarly adept robots.