Project description
Fighting extremists in online gaming
In the digital age, the nexus between video gaming and radicalisation has raised grave concerns among authorities, academics and policymakers. With a lack of concrete evidence and effective prevention measures, the online gaming space has become a fertile ground for extremist activities. In this context, the EU-funded GEMS project unites experts from academia, AI, policy and law enforcement to pioneer innovative solutions and avert the spread of extremism within the gaming community. Specifically, it will equip law enforcement with a cutting-edge training curriculum and an AI tool, the Watchtower, designed to detect and prevent extremist content in online gaming. It will also establish a cross-sectoral network against gaming-related extremism and promote public awareness.
Objective
There is widespread agreement across police authorities, policy makers and the academic community that the video gaming ecosystem plays a substantial role in the process of radicalization. However as yet there is no compelling evidence base to understand how the process takes place, or the best measures to prevent the radicalization process.
Games as a Multi-layered Security Threat (GEMS) is an interdisciplinary, mixed-method and cross-sectoral project bringing together academic researchers, AI specialists, policy experts and a range of police authorities from across Europe in order to address this challenge. Co-creation of knowledge with a comprehensive end-user engagement is the fundamental principle of GEMS. The main aims of GEMS are:
1) to contribute to a scientific advancement of the field of radicalisation and violent extremism by developing a new academic field of Sociology of Gaming and Radicalisation;
2) to provide EPAs with a novel Training Curriculum and an innovative tool, the Watchtower (a future-proof AI platform trained to recognise and prevent the spread of extremist content and recruitment in the online gaming space);
3) to create a new cross-sectoral collaborative network dedicated to countering extremist presence in the gaming ecosystem – European Networks Against Gaming-Related Extremism (ENgaGE); and
4) to develop an effective Citizens Awareness Campaign and evidence-based Policy Solutions which will greatly improve high level decision making, empower citizens and enhance youth protection.
These aims will significantly contribute to the fight against the rapid spread of extremism in the online gaming spaces and lead to a secure cyberspace.
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Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
D02 CX56 DUBLIN 2
Ireland