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A group of 40 young developers came together in New York City last month to invent technological tools that combat hate and extremism in online gaming. The three-day program, held in partnership with NYU's Center for the Study of Antisemitism, challenged participants to create prototypes addressing the crisis in gaming, specifically the use of chat rooms.
I talked to Morielle Lotan, CEO of The ADIR Challenge Foundation, who discussed the inaugural GameChangers 2025. The fellowship identified immediate technological solutions, including AI-powered moderation systems, crowdsourced reporting tools, and dynamic hate symbol dictionaries—all designed for rapid deployment by industry partners such as Playtika and Decart.
Our conversation highlights the educational gap facing parents and educators who struggle to understand gaming's hidden dangers. We're not talking about a niche hobby here: There are 3.3 billion gamers worldwide. The average age? Thirty-four. Seventy percent of U.S. households have at least one gamer. This is an industry larger than television and movies combined.
And yet, within this massive ecosystem, there's an underworld—anonymous chat rooms where 83 million American players have faced harassment, where extremist recruitment happens, and where hate speech thrives unchecked. It’s a dark but essential subject. Have a listen!
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