This paper compares and contrasts two recent series of competitions in which multiple agents compete directly against one another: the robot soccer world cup (RoboCup) and the trading agent competition (TAC). Both of these competitions have attracted large numbers of competitors and have motivated important research results in artificial intelligence. Based on extensive personal experiences, both as a participant and as an organizer, this paper reflects upon and characterizes both the benefits and the hazards of competitions with respect to academic research.
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