Google have been doing this for ages with their image search. Basically they get 'players' to tag images for them in an attempt to improve their hit data.

http://images.google.com/imagelabeler/

Paris, because... well, it's google image search isn't it...

> "As people are playing this game, they're doing something useful for the world,"

Presumably by not being part of it for the duration?

Once he has enough data and has developed suitable algorithms he can then sell a new product allowing the spammers to beat all and any Captcha screens.

do they really think that a computer can understand why a human says a photo of a cat is the same as a cartoon cat, yet a cartoon cat is not the same as a cartoon dog? or the acorn and oak leaf match when acorns and conkers do not. that is one hell of a task! good luck to them!

Object recognition

Object Identification

Object classification

Object matching

they want us to help computers break the anti-spam things on sites so we get MORE spam... i dont think so.

mines the one with a large cricket bat in the pocket, i am off to find some bot-net overlords.

Why should I help a computer develop the skills it needs to start eroding my competitive advantage as a human? This can only lead us further down the path of control that we're already on with facial recognition and decision-by-computer bureacracy.

Bring on the Butlerian Jihad.

... Object Matching ...

-- determine if identified object is a threat - currently all objects defined as targets

-- COMPLETE THIS BEFORE RELEASE

Object Threat Assessment

Object Targeted

Weapons Locking

Weapons Firing

Object Identification

Confirm destruction

.....MISSION COMPLETE......

Funny, Terminator was just on the telly last night....