By Zavian Swan
Defining Competition in Modern Times
The question at hand—what constitutes a sport—has sparked considerable debate. To ground this discussion, we must first define the term “sport.” Is chess a sport? What about breakdancing, the recently recognized Olympic event? While there is little controversy over classifying basketball as a sport, the boundaries blur with other activities. For the purpose of this analysis, it is more precise to use “competition” rather than “sport.” For example, Football pits two teams against each other, while chess features two individual competitors. Even subjective contests like Olympic street skating are fundamentally competitive, judged or not.
Why Do We Engage with Competitions?
Why do we engage with these competitions? The answer varies depending on the nature of the event. While team sports like football, basketball, and baseball differ from individual pursuits such as slalom skiing, a unifying factor persists: we watch to determine who is the best. Who scores the most points? Who achieves the fastest time? These metrics, though socially constructed, serve as the backbone of competitive entertainment.
Yet, beneath the commercial layers lies a more fundamental human interest: the desire to witness excellence and legacy in the making. Consider the folklore of John Henry, who famously outperformed a steam engine in a contest of strength and endurance—only to succumb to the physical toll. Despite the machine’s eventual dominance, the human element of the competition drew the crowd’s fascination.
The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Competition
This dynamic extends to modern instances where human intellect confronts artificial intelligence, highlighting the shifting boundaries of human capability and the ethical implications of machine dominance. These confrontations are significant because they challenge our understanding of skill, creativity, and even identity, forcing us to reconsider the role of human ingenuity in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Garry Kasparov’s 1997 defeat by IBM’s Deep Blue and Lee Sedol’s 2016 loss to AlphaGo exemplify this shift. Observing these grandmasters as they confronted an insurmountable, non-human opponent offers a poignant study of human resilience and vulnerability. Lee Sedol’s retirement statement, “Even if I become the number one, there is an entity that cannot be defeated,” underscores the existential challenge posed by AI in competitive domains.
Despite these developments, human-centered competitions endure. Chess enthusiasts still follow Magnus Carlsen, not because he can surpass Stockfish, but because he represents the pinnacle of human achievement in the game. Similarly, Jeopardy! remains popular despite IBM’s victory over its top contestants. The drama, strategy, and unpredictability inherent in human competition continue to captivate audiences.
The Physical Challenge: AI and Real-World Environments
It is important to note that these AI triumphs have been confined to digital or simulated environments. Whether navigating a chessboard, a Go grid, or a video game like DOTA 2, AI systems excel in spaces where rules and variables can be precisely defined and manipulated. The real world, however, presents a more complex challenge. Companies like Nvidia are striving to bridge this gap by developing robotics capable of operating in the physical world. Achieving a high-fidelity simulation of real-world conditions—from gravity to material resistance—is a prerequisite for robots to compete in physical sports. Current advancements, such as Boston Dynamics’ robots demonstrating impressive agility in obstacle courses and humanoid robots like Tesla’s Optimus performing precise tasks, indicate significant progress. Additionally, robotics competitions like DARPA’s Robotics Challenge showcase robots navigating complex environments, highlighting the strides being made toward real-world applicability. Once this threshold is crossed, we may see robots participating in, and eventually dominating, events like slalom skiing.
The Broader Implications of Technological Progress
These advancements are driven not merely by the desire to outperform humans but by the broader implications of technological progress. Demonstrating AI superiority in any domain serves as proof of concept, attracting investment and fostering further innovation. After AlphaGo’s victory, Google released a documentary that spurred significant venture capital interest, leading to the development of even more advanced models capable of mastering multiple games.
While AI may eventually overshadow human competitors in various arenas, its most transformative role will likely be as a tool for enhancing human performance. From optimizing athletic training to refining strategic approaches in games, AI’s evaluative capabilities offer immense potential. However, the essence of competition—the human drive for excellence and the stories that emerge from it—will remain at the forefront.
An Analogy for the Future
I’ll leave you with this analogy. Imagine you are the strongest person in your village. Everyone comes to you and asks for help to move things. Maybe they even pay you for it. This gives you a great sense of satisfaction. You help people and get paid! But then someone invents a cart, and you are no longer needed so much. Sure, you can still push the cart, but now people can do a lot of things they used to ask you for by themselves. And that stings! Not only your pride, but your paycheck too. But you’re still needed for the highest of the high end of weights to push. And then, someone invents a robot that’s just as strong as you to push the cart around.
Be ready for that.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this piece are solely my own and are not endorsed by any individual or institution.