Oh Boy, don't get me started as this has been a topic I've spent quite a bit of brainpower on the last couple of months.
Suffice it to say, if we are not the ONLY intelligent species is the Universe, I certainly hope that at this time we are the most advanced. Or that we achieved intelligence/sentience first. Think Spaniards/Conquistadors in Central and South America - we see how well that worked out for the natives.
Given the size and age of the Universe, it has been speculated that outside of our Solar system their should, in theory at least, be other intelligent life forms out there. See Fermi's Paradox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox
Currently we peg the age of the Universe around 10 Billion years old and our little local solar system is around 6 billion years old. Given the age of the Universe, even with out Faster than light travel, we should see or hear something from other intelligent life forms.
I could talk about this for hours, but like I said before i hope were the first, because otherwise, we are FUCKED.