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Subject: Re: Computer Chess. Useful??

Author: Imran Hendley

Date: 11:55:16 12/16/99

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On December 16, 1999 at 02:21:46, Michael Neish wrote:

From what little I know about computer chess programming, I don't think it can
be directly applied to other problems. In my opinion, I think that some computer
programs are artificially intelligent to a very minor extent. No they will not
evolve and take over your computer and then the world, but they can learn and
IMPROVE. I would define artificial intelligence as the ability to perform a task
that requires human intelligence, and the ability to learn and adapt. Obviously
all programs fullfil the first criterion but not all the second. Programs with
book and positional learning can learn from their mistakes and improve.

>
>Hi,
>
>I'm not trying to be controversial here, or to generate
>a long list of impassioned replies (thought I'd drop
>that in first of all.).  :)
>
>I'm as interested in computer Chess as the next person,
>I suppose, and it would do my motivation no harm at all
>to know whether there are any practical applications to
>the techniques used for Chess programming.  So, are
>these techniques so specialised that they are useful
>only within the game of Chess and not to any real
>applications (or even to other games)? Does computer
>Chess come under the category of AI anyway?  Has AI
>research gained anything from Chess, or vice-versa?
>
>Maybe I should drop in an opinion at some point.
>IMHO the privileged position that Chess occupies
>within the ranks of games of strategy is due mainly
>(or only) to the fact that the strongest programs
>play -- at the moment -- around the level of the
>best human players.  This is not true for Go, where
>humans are clearly superior, or tic-tac-toe, which
>is completely solved.  Chess is floating somewhere
>in the middle: a little more complicated and humans
>would easily be better, a little less complicated
>and computers would be ahead (if the game could not
>be fully solved, that is).  This is what maintains
>the interest.  Maybe in a few decades it will be the
>turn of another game, at which human and silicon
>wits almost exactly match.
>
>Surely the question is not as simple as this, so
>I'd welcome any relevant replies answering any of
>my questions.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Mike.



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