Enhanced User Safety in Virtual Reality Among Us: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Regulating Game Content and Boosting Player Enjoyment
In the ever-evolving world of virtual reality (VR) gaming, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all users is paramount. On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at 2PM EDT, a webinar titled "Dive into the heart of VR gaming safety" will be hosted by Modulate and Schell Games, featuring industry experts Mark Frumkin, Laura Norwicke Hall, and Alexis Miller.
Mark Frumkin, Director of Account Management at Modulate, is a seasoned professional with a lifelong interest in various types of games, including couch co-op, FPS, and tabletops. He leads a team at Modulate that partners with studios like Activision, Riot, and Rec Room to create safe and inclusive spaces for their communities. Mark is also passionate about encouraging prosocial behaviour, healthy competition, and positive interactions in gaming communities.
Laura Norwicke Hall, the Senior Player Support Specialist at Schell Games, oversees all player support initiatives at the company. With over a decade and a half of experience in project management, communications, and media production, she is deeply involved in in-game player moderation and safety at Schell Games.
Alexis Miller, the Director of Product Management at Schell Games, leads strategy through quantitative and qualitative data-based decision making. She excels at implementing complex projects like player safety and is passionate about making games more accessible, safe, and inclusive for all different audiences.
The webinar will focus on best practices for selecting content moderation tools for VR gaming. While specific details from a previous webinar by these speakers are not available, the broader context of VR gaming and content moderation suggests several key strategies.
1. The use of AI and automation, such as bot-based moderation, can help filter out inappropriate content or commands in real-time, ensuring a safer environment for users. 2. Transparency and user awareness are essential, with informing users about the nature of AI-generated content or NPCs helping manage expectations and reduce potential ethical issues. 3. Fair representation and accessibility are crucial, ensuring that AI-generated characters and narratives do not perpetuate stereotypes or biases. 4. Community management plays a significant role, with fostering a positive community atmosphere by engaging with users, recognizing their contributions, and promptly addressing toxic behaviour important for maintaining a safe and enjoyable experience. 5. Real-time monitoring and adaptation of moderation policies can help keep pace with evolving community needs and trends. 6. Collaboration with industry standards, such as those provided by the XR Safety Initiative (XRSI) and IEEE’s Ethically Aligned Design for AI & XR, can help ensure ethical content creation practices.
For more specific insights from Mark Frumkin, Laura Norwicke Hall, and Alexis Miller, accessing the upcoming webinar directly or reviewing Modulate and Schell Games' publications would provide the most relevant information. This webinar promises to be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the future of VR gaming and the strategies needed to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all users.
In the webinar, Mark Frumkin from Modulate discusses his passion for encouraging prosocial behavior in gaming communities by employing AI and automation, such as bot-based moderation, for real-time filtering of inappropriate content.
Alexis Miller, the Director of Product Management at Schell Games, emphasizes the importance of fair representation and accessibility in AI-generated characters and narratives, aiming to minimize stereotypes or biases.
