New Roblox safety feature uses AI to determine if kids are old enough to play specific games

In another bid to protect children playing Roblox, a brand-new range of safety features have hit the massively popular online service specifically focusing on teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17.

Announced in a lengthy statement by the Roblox Corporation, a new set of features are coming to the service that aim to protect teenagers in the game. One of these features makes use of AI technology to determine if players are over a set age.

First and foremost, players will now be able to designate “trusted connections” in the game that will allow them to chat with specific people without filters. This is part of a new initiative to give teenagers more freedom than younger users, but not as much as adults.

The trusted connections feature will also only make it easy to add someone who is also between the ages of 13 and 17. If a player wishes to add someone over the age of 18 as a trusted connection—such as a parent—then they can only do so via a contact importer (which requires the knowledge of a specific person’s phone number) or a QR code scanner.

Another major feature coming in the future is the arrival of AI age verification that will require players to have a “video selfie” scanned and verified to determine if someone is specially between the ages of 13 and 17.

Previously, Roblox has required that teenagers and adults submit a government-issued ID to the service to verify their age. This new feature will be more accessible to those who don’t have access to physical ID, but it’s not known how effective the tool is at actually determining age.

These rapid and varied changes come after years of issues surrounding Roblox and online predators. The online multiplayer service has seen many cases of children not being protected as they should, and the company behind the service is working to make sure that younger players can safely explore their online games.

“Safety has always been foundational to everything we do at Roblox. Our goal is to lead the world in safety and civility for online gaming,” the company explained in a blog post. “We’ve spent nearly two decades building sophisticated safety systems, which supports our mission of connecting a billion people every day with optimism and civility.

“We are dedicated to supporting experiences that are both deeply engaging and empowering for players of all ages, while continuously innovating how all users connect and interact. Today, we’re taking a significant step forward and announcing an expansion of our safety platform.”