With the world becoming a more woke and tolerant place, the gaming industry is taking steps to become more positive and inclusive too. As hard a challenge as it may seem (given the state of chatrooms and lobbies), Riot and Ubisoft are teaming up to develop a database for gathering in-game data to better train AI-based preemptive moderation tools that detect and mitigate disruptive behaviour in-game. Any data gathered that will be able to identify a person will be removed before sharing.
The initiative has been dubbed the “Zero Harm in Comms” research project. It aims to be the first step to creating gaming structures that foster more rewarding social experiences and avoid harmful interactions. As members of the Fair Play Alliance, the two companies are using the “Zero Harm in Comms” research project to explore how to lay the technological foundations for future industry collaboration and create the framework that guarantees the ethics and privacy of the initiative.
Between the two companies, there are a vast number of players and users to be monitored allowing for a large database. This should cover every type of player and in-game behaviour in order to better train Riot Games’ and Ubisoft’s AI systems.
While to some it might seem like a drastic project and perhaps a potential loss of online freedom, it is a small way to ensure the safety and security of the players for years to come.