Riot Games and Ubisoft announce the “Zero Harm in Comms” project to detect harmful content

Ubisoft Y Riot Games announce a technology collaboration to enhance the reach of their AI-based solutions to prevent harmful player-to-player interactions. This research initiative seeks to create a shared cross-company database and organized ecosystem that gathers information within the game, which will help train AI-based proactive moderation tools to detect and mitigate inappropriate behavior.

Both active members of the Fair Play Alliance, Ubisoft and Riot Games, strongly believe that creating a safe and meaningful gaming experience can only be achieved through collective action and knowledge sharing. Therefore, this initiative is a continuation of the commitment of both companies to build game structures that encourage more fulfilling social experiences and avoid harmful interactions.

What is “Zero Harm in Comms”?

“Inappropriate player behavior is a problem that we take very seriously, but at the same time it is very difficult to solve. We at Ubisoft have been working on concrete measures to help make experiences safe and enjoyable, but we believe we will be able to address this issue more effectively if we come together as an industry.” comments Yves Jacquier, CEO of Ubisoft La Forge. “Through this technology collaboration with Riot Games, we are exploring how to prevent in-game toxicity as designers of these environments with a direct connection to our communities.”

With the research project “Zero Harm in Comms”, Ubisoft and Riot Games are studying how to lay the technological foundations for future collaborations in the industry and how to create a framework that guarantees the ethics and privacy of this initiative. Thanks to Riot Games’ highly competitive games and various Ubisoft projects, the resulting database should cover all types of players and in-game behaviors to better train Riot Games and Ubisoft’s AI systems.

“Inappropriate behavior is not a problem unique to games. All companies that have online social platforms work every day to address these challenging spaces. That is why we are committed to working with industry partners, like Ubisoft, who are confident in creating safe communities and fostering positive experiences in online spaces.” explains Wesley Kerr, Director of Technology Research at Riot Games. “This project is just one example of a broader commitment and work we decided to do at Riot to develop systems that create healthy, safe, and inclusive interactions in our games.”

While still in its early stages, the “Zero Harm in Comms” research project is the first step in a more ambitious project that seeks to benefit the entire gaming community in the future. As part of the first phase of this project, Ubisoft and Riot have committed to sharing the learnings from the early stage of the experiment with the entire industry next year, regardless of the outcome.

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