Photo by Dan Cristian Pădureț on Pexels
Could competitive robotics become the catalyst for accelerated development in humanoid artificial intelligence? A recent Reddit discussion proposes the creation of a ‘Robot Olympics’ or boxing competition where teams design and program robots to compete in various challenges. Proponents argue this approach, analogous to the impact of racing on the automotive industry, would incentivize rapid innovation in crucial AI areas such as computer vision, balance, locomotion, and manipulation. Furthermore, the potential for advertising sponsorships and wagering could attract substantial investment, creating a self-sustaining cycle of advancement. The original discussion can be found on Reddit at https://old.reddit.com/r/artificial/comments/1mzsao2/robot_boxingolympics_between_teams_or_countries/.