Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Will Use AI to Moderate…

Summary

Activision is set to employ AI to monitor voice chat for toxic communications in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, aiming to create a more wholesome online experience.
The AI moderation system, called ToxMod, will detect hate speech, discrimination, and harassment in real time and mete out punishment accordingly.
ToxMod will have a beta rollout on existing Call of Duty titles on August 30 and will be released worldwide with Modern Warfare 3 on November 10, potentially revolutionizing the game's online matchmaking.

The future is now as Activision is set to employ AI to monitor voice chat for toxic communications in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The latest iteration of the rebooted Modern Warfare series was recently revealed after months of rumors and speculation about what fans could expect for 2023, with many under the mistaken belief that the next Call of Duty title would only arrive in 2024. Since its official reveal on August 7, new information is coming thick and fast in the buildup to the release of Modern Warfare 3 on November 10.

The Call of Duty franchise has been central to the ongoing dispute over Microsoft's attempt at acquiring parent company Activision Blizzard. While the protracted war between Microsoft and Sony over the future of the series rages on with the latter making every effort to block the deal through various regulatory bodies around the world, information about Modern Warfare 3 has been leaked in the process. A federal judge was a surprising source of one such leak when they divulged the game's release window, corroborating the then rumored and now confirmed November 10 release date.

It has now been revealed that Activision is partnering with a company called Modulate and bringing the AI voice chat moderation system to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. ToxMod, Modulate's AI moderation system, detects hate speech, discrimination, and harassment in real time and metes out punishment accordingly. This is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to make Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 online matchmaking a much more wholesome and enjoyable experience.

There will be a beta rollout of ToxMod to existing Call of Duty titles, Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone, taking place on August 30. The AI-based moderation system will be released worldwide with Modern Warfare 3 on November 10. While there are already good reasons to be excited for Modern Warfare 3 the new AI moderation system could be a game changer; there are millions of Call of Duty players around the world, and it is nigh impossible to rely on conventional means such as player reporting and manual moderation with such a large player base.

One can only hope that the ToxMod rollout is successful and doesn't result in unfair bans that many Call of Duty players have experienced. Speaking about ToxMod, Activision chief technology officer Michael Vance says “This is a critical step forward to creating and maintaining a fun, fair and welcoming experience for all players.” It is clear that Activision is taking toxicity on its servers very seriously, so while there may be some early teething problems with the new system, some cautious optimism may be in order.