This year became a landmark year in esports ethics, as the International Esports Federation (IESF) – in collaboration with Busan Metropolitan City and the Voice of Intercollegiate Esports (VOICE) – released a mixed-methods research and development (R&D) initiative centered around the use of AI in esports competition and training.
The research, conducted by Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. Seth Jenny and University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Dr. Raymond Pastore, is the first of its kind and establishes a set of precedents for esports entities to adhere to when utilizing AI in competitive esports.
The pair, with support from the aforementioned organizations, surveyed “161 globally diverse esports, gaming, and AI specialists representing 28 countries worldwide” behind a stellar 38% survey response rate — far above the standard 10-15% attained in similar studies — before consulting 18 esports professionals from 9 countries in a Delphi panel to validate the draft of the guidelines.
Dr. Seth Jenny speaks with College Esports News
In an exclusive interview with College Esports News, Dr. Jenny mentioned the vacuum of literature concerning esports and artificial intelligence:
“One of the major things that these guidelines help with is… education on the different usages for AI in competitive esports. In our initial survey sent to over 400 people, only half claimed to be familiar or very familiar with AI technology and its uses in esports,” Jenny claimed. He asserted that this research will serve to be “just as much about educating both amateurs and professionals as it is setting the standard for ethical esports practices.”
“(These guidelines are) just as much about educating both amateurs and professionals as it is setting the standard for ethical esports practices.” – Dr. Seth Jenny
The multi-faceted guidelines document aims at highlighting acceptable and unacceptable use cases for AI usage in esports training as well as esports competitions. With sections on data privacy, AI-based training tools, AI access equity, AI language translation in-competition, and more – Dr. Jenny and Dr. Pastore attempted to cover every base and curiosity in the first edition of these recommendations.
According to the IESF: “Grounded in the principle that esports should remain a test of human skill, strategy, and teamwork, the[se] guidelines define clear ethical boundaries to prevent misuse, unfair advantage, and harm to players.”
The document also mentions creative ways that AI can enhance the gaming experience for players, and references it in the context of ethics.
For example, player voice modulation with the use of AI (with the text citing a reduction of harassment for women as a potential benefit) is listed among the acceptable use cases, provided it doesn’t also give the players a competitive advantage. The guidelines also make note of AI speech-to-text accessibility for gamers with hearing impairments, under similar conditions for the voice modulation.
The Future of AI in Esports
In order to future-proof the guidelines, the pair suggested a “World Esports AI Ethics Consortium” where a designated AI ethics officer per esports entity would meet, as Dr. Jenny suggests: possibly with the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), to review and rewrite the document on a consistent basis.
Jenny reasoned: “Ethics is based in culture. What was once deemed culturally inappropriate (and thus unethical) can change over time.” Hosting a semi-annual to biannual Esports Consortium to discuss the topics and trends that may shift over time seems to be the logical next step to handling future issues.
As AI continues to change and develop, enveloping the esports world in its unyielding course, the burden of proof remains with the human element that maintains control. AI is a tool that enables esports athletes to perform at their best, but in terms of training, Jenny maintains: “While AI might be used as a tool, nothing can replace the art of coaching.”
Those interested in reading the full guidelines on ethical and appropriate AI usage in esports can read them here, with the research report on how the guidelines were created found here.
