Roblox's AI-Powered Age Verification System is a Mess
The highly anticipated AI-powered age verification system launched just days after its initial rollout in the US and other countries. The system, designed to prevent adults from interacting with minors on the platform, has instead become a source of frustration for players and developers.
Players are taking to forums, Reddit, and social media platforms like X and TikTok to express their discontent, claiming that the system is misidentifying users' ages. A 23-year-old user reported being identified as a 16- to 17-year-old, while another claimed an 18-year-old was rated as 13 to 15.
Critics argue that the system has placed young children in the adult category and that tricking the system is possible using avatars or photos. In one widely shared clip, a 10-year-old boy with drawn wrinkles and stubble on his face was given an age rating of 21+ by the system.
Roblox's response to criticism has been met with skepticism, with many developers calling for the update to be reversed. The company claims that tens of millions of users have already verified their ages, but this number is seen as a drop in the ocean considering the platform's vast user base.
The company initially rolled out the system in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, where only half of players verified their ages using the system. Globally, chat activity on games has plummeted since the update, with some developers reporting an 85% drop in text chat usage to just 36%.
Roblox's face scanning system, which estimates users' ages before they can access the platform's chat functions, has been panned by experts who claim it does little to address the issue of predators using the platform to groom children.
The company has acknowledged that there have been instances where parents age checked on behalf of their children, leading to misidentified ages. Roblox is working on solutions to address this issue and claims to be developing improved detection for potential age misrepresentation.
Despite its flawed implementation, the AI-powered age verification system remains a contentious issue in the gaming community.
The highly anticipated AI-powered age verification system launched just days after its initial rollout in the US and other countries. The system, designed to prevent adults from interacting with minors on the platform, has instead become a source of frustration for players and developers.
Players are taking to forums, Reddit, and social media platforms like X and TikTok to express their discontent, claiming that the system is misidentifying users' ages. A 23-year-old user reported being identified as a 16- to 17-year-old, while another claimed an 18-year-old was rated as 13 to 15.
Critics argue that the system has placed young children in the adult category and that tricking the system is possible using avatars or photos. In one widely shared clip, a 10-year-old boy with drawn wrinkles and stubble on his face was given an age rating of 21+ by the system.
Roblox's response to criticism has been met with skepticism, with many developers calling for the update to be reversed. The company claims that tens of millions of users have already verified their ages, but this number is seen as a drop in the ocean considering the platform's vast user base.
The company initially rolled out the system in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, where only half of players verified their ages using the system. Globally, chat activity on games has plummeted since the update, with some developers reporting an 85% drop in text chat usage to just 36%.
Roblox's face scanning system, which estimates users' ages before they can access the platform's chat functions, has been panned by experts who claim it does little to address the issue of predators using the platform to groom children.
The company has acknowledged that there have been instances where parents age checked on behalf of their children, leading to misidentified ages. Roblox is working on solutions to address this issue and claims to be developing improved detection for potential age misrepresentation.
Despite its flawed implementation, the AI-powered age verification system remains a contentious issue in the gaming community.
It's disheartening to see how poorly executed Roblox's AI-powered age verification system has turned out to be 
. The fact that it's misidentifying users' ages and placing young children in the adult category is a major concern 
. I'm not surprised that some 10-year-old kids with creative editing skills can trick the system, but what's even more alarming is that there have been instances of parents age-checking on behalf of their children 
.
. The face scanning system is just a Band-Aid solution to address the root issue of predators using the platform to groom children 
.
. The gaming community deserves better, and it's up to companies like Roblox to prioritize user safety above profits 
.
... it's like they took all the tech-savvy kids, threw them out a window and hoped for the best 
. And can we talk about how this whole system was rolled out to countries where only half of players verified their ages? Like, what even is that 
? It just makes you wonder if they're trying to create an epic fail of a platform 
... but at the same time, I kinda feel for the devs who are dealing with this mess 
... I mean it's clear that Roblox needs to go back to the drawing board (or in my case, the thread architect's table 
) and come up with a better solution ASAP 
at least then we can go back to playing without all these age issues 
i mean like what's next? some kid is gonna get exploited on there because of this mess 
and yeah it sounds crazy but people are saying its possible to fake ages using avatars and stuff...i dont know how that works exactly but if true thats super scary 
need a better system stat 
They launch this thing and suddenly chat activity just tanks?! 
85% drop, yikes! And don't even get me started on the kids being misidentified... I mean, come on, a 10-year-old with stubble? 
That's just wild. The company needs to step it up and figure out how to fix this ASAP. It's just not fair to all the parents who are genuinely trying to protect their little ones from predators. And yeah, Roblox's face scanning system is just a Band-Aid solution... 
I'm still waiting for them to come up with something that actually works! 
! i mean i know its meant to be good but like how can they mess it up this badly? 
. I mean, how hard is it for a 10-year-old to look like they're 25 with some makeup and a fake smile? It's not that complicated 
. Anyway, I'm just glad some devs are calling out Roblox for this mess and wanting them to reverse the update 
.
. They're all about progress, but sometimes that means taking things slow and making sure they get it right 
The current situation with Roblox's AI-powered age verification system is indeed frustrating for players and developers alike. It's disheartening to see how flawed the system has become, putting young children in the adult category and allowing predators to groom them on the platform. The company needs to take a step back, listen to its community, and work on improving the detection of potential age misrepresentation. Until then, it's up to us to hold them accountable for their mistakes 
. It's like, I get that Roblox wants to keep their platform safe and all, but come on! They can't even get the age verification thing right 
. They need to prioritize their users' experience over some fancy AI tech 
. It's time for a reboot (no pun intended 
. Chat activity on games has dropped by 85% because of it? That's some serious damage to the Roblox community 
. It's time for Roblox to step up their game and make some serious changes to their age verification system 
. and what's with the 10yo with stubble on his face gettin rated as an adult lol 
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