Microsoft aims to assist detection of sexual predators in multiplayer games

It’s no secret that sexual predators use online messaging services. According to PureSight, a website that focuses on online child safety, one in five American teenagers who regularly log on to the internet says they have received unwanted sexual solicitation. Microsoft is aware of this problem and wants to help.

According to a report by AP News, Microsoft has developed a technique to detect predators in multiplayer video games. Artificial intelligence is used to scan conversations and those that seem suspicious are reviewed by a human and possibly sent to law enforcement officials. You can read the report below.

Microsoft says it has developed a technique to detect online predators who try to groom children for sexual purposes using the chat function in multiplayer video games. The… company… announced Thursday that it’s sharing the tool with nonprofit organizations and other gaming and messaging service developers. Nicknamed ‘Project Artemis,’ the tool automatically scans text-based conversations and rates them on the probability that a user might be trying to sexually exploit children. Human moderators are then able to review flagged conversations to determine if they should report them to law enforcement. An engineering team led by Dartmouth College digital forensics expert Hany Farid developed the technique. Microsoft worked with Farid and the makers of messaging services like Kik and the popular game Roblox. It will be distributed for free starting Friday through the anti-trafficking group Thorn.

It’s great to see that the technology will be distributed for free. Hopefully, other companies like Nintendo and Sony will also adopt this in the future. However, only time will tell. It’s definitely a great first step though.