Animals evolved 'extreme weapons' through duels, scientists say after forcing artificial intelligence to fight each other

Simulated warfare between artificial intelligence participants has revealed that "extraordinary forms" of extreme weaponry evolve when combatants fight each other in one-to-one in duels. Researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand pitted AI players against each other in a war game to better understand how animals evolve weapons. They found that combatants with improved weapons had a large advantage when fighting in duels, but that this advantage deteriorated when there were more rivals to fight against. The findings suggest that arms races between animals and in other types of conflict are more likely to be accelerated when there are only two opponents. The study was based on a current evolutionary hypothesis that predicts the evolution of elaborate weaponry in duel-based systems, such as the exaggerated horns wielded by male dung beetles and stag deer when fighting over females.