[extropy-chat] competition with computers

[spike]

> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Robert J. Bradbury
> Subject: RE: [extropy-chat] Serenity: "...make people better."
> 
> 
> Spike wrote,
> 
> > Let us keep in mind that at some level, humans are
> > all in competition with each other.
> 
> Noticing the recent successes in the DARPA car race
> (as well as the fact that software can "understand"
> speech, can speak, and rewrite news articles) people
> should realize that the competition down the road
> is going to be with computer software & AIs not
> so much with other humans...
> 
> Robert

On a slight tangent, is this not a wonderful sport
that has been recently born, the DARPA grand challenge
races?  Since it is a new sport, the optimal strategy
has not yet really been found.  Anyone with a reasonable
sum of money and some engineering talent can play,
unlike the more established motor sports, such as
the Indy 500 or NASCAR.  

I can easily envision DARPA sponsoring robot races
every other year for decades, and the cars getting
faster and better each time.  It will really be
cool when they rig motorcycles to go on their own.  I
want to see a motorcycle flat track race, humans vs
machines.  The machines should have an edge, since
they could be lighter than a human, with less wind
resistance.  It would be sooo wicked cool to see
an apparently riderless bike powersliding in the
turns.  {8^D

spike