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Comment by blondie9x | Hacker News Reader

This is about human drive and what's the point if the computer will always be better. In a way it makes the game a bit less fun because it somewhat kills the elusiveness of it all and the human aspect of men trying to surpass each others feats. If a man cannot beat a machine at a task where they are to compete directly, what's the point of trying at all if the machine will always be better?

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a man also can't beat a car in a race, so what's the point of athletics?

If a car competes with a human on a track for the 100 meter dash then there is no point. There doesn't exist competition between cars and humans now on race tracks. The problem with AI gaming is that it does exist and they will face each other. It's about the efforts to have AI compete with humans.

When robots start to compete with humans at olympic events and beat humans at those event there will then be no point to those events.

> If a man cannot beat a machine, what's the point of trying at all if the machine will always be better?

A machine still has no will or purpose. The point will be to point the machine to interesting avenues and problems.

In this instance AI research is directed at beating humans. Creating agents that will beat humans at games. This adversely impacts human drive and motivation.

I mean, computers are vastly better than humans at many things, I think you need to accept that and find the fun in sharing a game with a computer involved or with another human whose playing with another human in a like-for-like match with witt and skill being determining factors in the result, not a super advanced AI/algorithm.

I am coming from the perspective of Lee-Se-dol. He wanted to be the best man and highlight the achievement of men. Now there is no way it can be achieved. What's the point of the endeavor when humans can never win?

Broader question about AI research. Does it demoralize humanity?

The point is that sharing a game with a computer involved is not really fun, unless artificial limitations are (re)introduced. Suppose you enjoy playing CyberGo, but then Jeff Bezos gets interested in the same hobby. You don't have $150 billion to throw at the problem so you will always lose to Jeff Bezos. The end.

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