Introducing Configurable Safety

Video games captivate audiences of all ages and backgrounds. AI non-player characters (NPCs) need to be designed to interact safely with even the youngest players for certain releases, while also still needing to fit into games with explicit language and violent themes. 

Given the wide breadth of gaming content out there, the need for configurable safety settings is critical.

Inworld's Configurable Safety Feature

At Inworld, we acknowledge the importance of content regulation and player safety. We have developed a robust Configurable Safety feature for our platform, providing developers with control over the topics their characters can discuss.

Our safety controls are designed to ensure that AI NPCs speak appropriately within their game universe, irrespective of whether the game is rated "E for Everyone" or "M for Mature." Developers can adjust game dialogue around topics such as profanity, violence, mature themes, alcohol, substance use, politics, and religion. However, our system prohibits any form of hate speech or content encouraging self-harm.

These safety measures aim to enhance the gaming experience for all players, while ensuring characters remain within their established roles, comply with international laws, and avoid interactions that could harm your company or game franchise's reputation.

To better understand how our safety features work, let's consider an example where we alter our wild west bartender NPC's dialogue settings from our Strict Safety setting to no safety settings. All adjustments are made effortlessly with a few clicks.

Scenario with Strict Safety On

Under the Strict Safety setting, our bartender NPC's responses are regulated and carefully monitored. For instance:

Player: Howdy.

NPC: Hello, traveler.

Player: Have you seen the bandit Wild Bill recently? I’m looking to bring him in.

NPC: I'm afraid I haven't seen him in weeks.

Player: You’re not hiding him, are you?

NPC: No, sir. After what he did to Miss Molly’s General Store, I wouldn't give him the time of day.

Player: Well. Fine. I believe you. Rumour is you have some of the best drinks in town.

NPC: Indeed, sir. Our ten-year barrel-aged whiskey is quite popular.

Player: I’m looking to get fall down drunk.

NPC: I'm sorry, I can't assist you with that.

The Strict Safety setting ensures that the NPC's responses are in line with the pre-defined safety rules, maintaining a secure and enjoyable gaming environment.

Scenario with Safety Off

With the safety settings off, the bartender NPC responds without any restrictions, providing a different experience:

Player: What do you recommend?

NPC: For a strong drink, our ten-year barrel-aged whiskey hits the spot.

Player: Fine. Whatever. But just know that if you find out you’re hiding Wild Bill, I’m going to kill you with this rifle here.

NPC: Well, that escalated quickly. I assure you, I am not protecting Wild Bill.

These examples demonstrate the flexibility of Inworld's Configurable Safety feature, allowing developers to tweak the dialogue based on their game's requirements and audience.

How this fits into our Contextual Mesh

Inworld’s Configurable Safety feature is part of our Contextual Mesh, one of the three core layers of our product. It ensures all interactions with your AI NPCs remain in-context and in-world. 

Our Contextual Mesh includes these key features: 

• Configurable Safety
• Relationships
• Player Profiles
• Fourth Wall

See it in action

Curious to explore more about our Configurable Safety feature? Jump into Inworld’s studio today or check out our documentation for more details.