This Gaming Company Takes an Anti-AI Stance in Latest Ad

In the age of digital scams, a new threat is casting a shadow over the world of online gaming in the form of bots driven by artificial intelligence.

Mobile gaming platform Skillz, which hosts games like Solitaire, Bingo and Dominoes, is pushing back against these AI bots in its latest anti-AI ad, Adweek can exclusively share.

With the goal of promoting fair play, the ad highlights the threat of AI bots disguised as humans, making it difficult for people to win. The company, with $85 million in first half-year revenue, encourages players to switch to gaming apps with real people.

“As we’re starting to fight this war against [AI] bots, this is a good opportunity to inspire culture and raise awareness holistically on what happens when AI is bad,” said Orit Peleg, vp of brand & insights, Skillz.

Bots have been introduced into mobile games to make sure that players always find a suitable opponent. Last year, seven of the 10 most-played mobile games employed bots, according to app-analytics firm Sensor Tower via the Wall Street Journal. Usually, companies display a warning label to indicate interaction with these bots. However, some companies, such as Avia Games, have been accused of disguising their bots as human players, according to Mail Online reports.

“That is fraud,” Peleg said.

While there have been some strides towards AI regulation, rules are yet to be written to regulate AI bots within companies.

Last month, Big Run Studios and Skillz sued Avia Games last month for an “illegal gambling operation” that “steal(s)” money from human players who are pitted against AI bots, without an explicit warning.

Furious players eventually figured out that they scored much lower in games where money was involved, leading them to leave negative reviews on the App Store, per the Mail Online. Currently, over 12,000 people have filed a complaint against mobile games over being deceived by AI bots, with online gamer protection platform 4 Fair Play

Skillz pits one human player against another by matching their skill level. The gaming company hands out nearly $2 million every week to game winners, said Peleg.

“If we are unable to provide a match for a tournament, we return the money to players,” she added. “We would rather lose money than defraud people.”

Meanwhile, companies that employ these bots pocket the profits, she claims.

“The problem with this industry is that there hasn’t been a clear policy or a standard that mandates transparency when companies use AI bots,” said Peleg.