How AI Is Changing Anti-Cheat Forever

Ryscu
11 Sept 202414:26

TLDRThe video explores the ongoing battle against cheating in gaming, highlighting the evolution of anti-cheat technology. With the rise of AI and hardware cheats, companies like Tencent Games are developing advanced AI-powered anti-cheat solutions to detect even the most sophisticated cheats. The video discusses the history of cheating, from early console hacks to modern AI-driven cheats, and how these new anti-cheat measures aim to create a fairer gaming environment by addressing not only hacking but also negative behaviors like smurfing and boosting.

Takeaways

  • 🎮 Cheaters have been a constant presence in gaming since the 1970s, evolving alongside technology.
  • 🔍 The development of cheats has accelerated with technology, affecting various gaming platforms including PCs, consoles, and mobile devices.
  • 🌐 The global approach to combating cheating varies, with some regions employing unique and advanced anti-cheat strategies.
  • 🤖 AI is being used to create undetectable cheats, posing a new challenge for anti-cheat developers.
  • 🛡️ Traditional anti-cheat methods like Punk Buster have been improved upon, with new technologies emerging to counter advanced cheats.
  • 👾 The combination of AI and hardware cheats is making detection difficult, as cheats can run on separate computers.
  • 📊 Surveys show that a significant percentage of gamers admit to cheating, indicating the scale of the issue.
  • 💡 Companies like Tencent Games are developing AI-powered anti-cheat solutions to counter AI-driven cheats.
  • 🔎 AI can detect subtle traces left by cheats, which are invisible to the human eye and traditional anti-cheat systems.
  • 📱 Mobile gaming has become a significant target for cheaters, with a large number of games having available cheats and few employing anti-cheat measures.
  • 🌟 The battle against cheating is ongoing, with both cheat developers and anti-cheat developers continuously innovating to gain an advantage.

Q & A

  • How has the evolution of technology affected the development of cheats in video games?

    -The evolution of technology has accelerated the development of cheats, affecting platforms like PCs, consoles, handhelds, and mobile games. Cheats have become more sophisticated, with the use of AI and hardware cheats making detection increasingly difficult.

  • What was the first recorded instance of an Aimbot in video games?

    -The first recorded instance of an Aimbot was created in 1998 for a game called Quake World 2, known as the Kleenex bot, which was extremely advanced for its time.

  • What was the world's first dedicated anti-cheat system and what was its main issue?

    -The world's first dedicated anti-cheat system was Punk Buster, created in 1999. Its main issue was that it was not very effective, often producing false positives and not significantly reducing the number of cheaters.

  • How do hardware cheats work in combination with AI to bypass anti-cheat systems?

    -Hardware cheats, such as a separate computer running AI to analyze game footage, can transmit signals to the game PC through devices like an Arduino, which disguises the inputs to appear as legitimate user actions, making detection difficult for traditional anti-cheat systems.

  • What is Tencent Games' approach to combating AI-powered cheats?

    -Tencent Games has developed an AI-powered anti-cheat solution known as the Anti Cheat Expert (AC) team. They use a combination of player behavior analysis and device trace detection to identify cheaters, even when cheats do not directly interact with the game's memory.

  • What challenges do anti-cheat developers face when trying to detect cheats that do not interact with game memory?

    -Detecting cheats that do not interact with game memory is more difficult because they leave fewer traces for traditional detection methods. However, player behavior analysis and device trace detection can help identify suspicious activities.

  • How does the false positive rate affect AI-based anti-cheat systems?

    -The false positive rate in AI-based anti-cheat systems can lead to innocent players being wrongly banned. To mitigate this, companies like Tencent Games have strict internal quality control processes and use player feedback to continuously improve the accuracy of their detection models.

  • What other negative behaviors in multiplayer gaming are AI-based anti-cheat systems being developed to address?

    -AI-based anti-cheat systems are also being developed to address negative behaviors such as boosting, smurfing, intentionally throwing games, and soft inting, which degrade the gaming experience but are not necessarily detectable by traditional anti-cheat measures.

  • How prevalent is cheating in mobile gaming compared to PC gaming?

    -In the East, mobile gaming is more popular than PC gaming, and with the rise in mobile gaming's popularity, cheating has become a significant issue. An analysis found that 86% of mobile games had some form of cheat available, yet only 22% of games had anti-cheat measures in place.

  • What are the three main methods hackers use to cheat in mobile games?

    -The three main methods hackers use to cheat in mobile games are memory editing using tools like Game Guardian, automation cheats such as bots, and cracking the game to inject and repack cheats directly into the game's code.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 The Evolution of Cheating in Gaming

This paragraph delves into the history of cheating in video games, from the early days of arcade machines to modern online multiplayer games. It discusses the emergence of cheat codes in the 1970s, the rise of hacking with the advent of the internet in the 1990s, and the creation of the first aimbot in 1998. The paragraph also highlights the continuous battle between game developers and cheat developers, with the introduction of anti-cheat software like PunkBuster in 1999. It emphasizes the growing sophistication of cheats, including the use of AI and hardware cheats, which are becoming increasingly difficult to detect.

05:00

🔍 Advanced Anti-Cheat Measures and AI

The second paragraph focuses on the advanced anti-cheat measures being developed to counteract the rise of AI-powered cheats. It discusses the use of player and device behavior analysis to detect cheats that are nearly undetectable by traditional anti-cheat methods. The paragraph introduces Tencent Games' security team, known as Anti-Cheat Expert (AC), which is at the forefront of developing AI-powered anti-cheat solutions. It also touches on the challenges of false positives in AI detection systems and how Tencent Games is addressing these issues through strict quality control and player feedback. The paragraph concludes by discussing the broader implications of AI in gaming, including its potential to combat not just hacking but also other negative behaviors like smurfing and boosting.

10:01

📱 The Growing Challenge of Cheating in Mobile Gaming

The final paragraph shifts focus to the world of mobile gaming, where cheating is becoming an increasingly significant issue. It outlines the three main methods hackers use to cheat in mobile games: memory editing with tools like Game Guardian, automation cheats such as bots, and cracking games to inject cheats directly. The paragraph highlights the disparity between the prevalence of cheats and the lack of anti-cheat measures in mobile gaming, particularly in the East where mobile gaming is more popular than PC gaming. It also discusses the efforts of companies like Tencent Games to combat cheating in mobile games, emphasizing the ongoing battle between hackers and developers and the need to balance security with the freedom and creativity that define the gaming experience.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cheating

Cheating in the context of video games refers to the use of unauthorized methods or tools to gain an unfair advantage over other players. This can include the use of cheat codes, hacks, or third-party software. In the video, cheating is discussed as an ongoing issue that has evolved with technology, affecting various gaming platforms and prompting the development of anti-cheat systems.

💡Anti-cheat

Anti-cheat systems are measures implemented by game developers to detect and prevent cheating in video games. They can include software that monitors player behavior or hardware that prevents unauthorized modifications. The video discusses the history and evolution of anti-cheat systems, including the challenges they face against increasingly sophisticated cheating methods.

💡AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in gaming is used both for cheating and for anti-cheat measures. Cheaters use AI to develop advanced cheats that are harder to detect, while developers use AI to improve anti-cheat systems. The video highlights how AI is changing the landscape of anti-cheat by enabling more sophisticated detection methods.

💡Hardware cheats

Hardware cheats refer to physical devices or modifications that are used to gain an unfair advantage in games. An example mentioned in the video is the use of an Arduino to relay commands from a cheating PC to the game, making it difficult for anti-cheat systems to detect.

💡Aimbot

An aimbot is a type of cheat that automatically aims a player's weapon at opponents in a game, often making it nearly impossible for other players to win. The video discusses how aimbots have evolved and how they are now incorporated into more advanced cheating methods, such as those involving AI.

💡Konami Code

The Konami Code is a famous cheat code used in video games, originally entered on the game controller to unlock hidden features or bonuses. While it was initially harmless and often used by developers for testing, it represents the early days of gaming cheats that have since become more complex.

💡Punk Buster

Punk Buster was the world's first dedicated anti-cheat software, created in 1999. Despite its shortcomings, such as producing false positives, it marked the beginning of a more formalized approach to combating cheating in online gaming.

💡Behavior Analysis

Behavior Analysis in the context of anti-cheat involves using AI to analyze player behavior for signs of cheating. The video explains how this method can detect subtle traces of cheating that might be invisible to the naked eye, such as screen synchronization and mouse operation patterns.

💡False positives

False positives occur when an anti-cheat system incorrectly identifies a legitimate player's actions as cheating. The video discusses the challenges of reducing false positives while improving detection rates, as well as the importance of quality control in AI-based detection models.

💡Mobile gaming

Mobile gaming refers to playing games on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The video points out that as mobile gaming has grown in popularity, so has cheating in these games, with a significant percentage of mobile games having available cheats and a lack of effective anti-cheat measures.

💡ESP

ESP stands for 'Extra Sensory Perception' and in gaming, it refers to a cheat that allows players to see opponents or objects through walls or other obstacles. The video mentions ESP as one of the cheats that can be included in modded or cracked versions of games.

Highlights

The ongoing battle between hackers and anti-cheat developers is escalating with the use of AI in gaming.

Blizzard faces challenges in detecting AI-controlled characters in games.

Technology has advanced rapidly, leading to the development of more sophisticated cheats.

AI and hardware cheats are becoming increasingly popular, making detection almost impossible.

32% of gamers admitted to cheating at least once, with 12% regularly using cheats.

AI-powered anti-cheat solutions are being developed to counteract AI-powered cheats.

Tensent Games has developed an AI-powered anti-cheat solution called AC (Anti Cheat Expert).

AI can leave traces that are invisible to human detection, aiding in the detection of cheats.

The use of large language models like ChatGPT has become widespread, influencing cheat development.

Cheating methods have evolved to include screen synchronization and mouse operation traces.

Combining player and device analysis with behavior detection can identify cheaters.

The 2 PC method used by cheaters involves a gaming PC and a separate PC for cheating.

AI-based detection models have a low false positive rate, around 99% accuracy.

Player Behavior Analysis is a key component in detecting non-hacking negative behaviors like smurfing.

Mobile gaming has a significant cheating problem, with 86% of games having available cheats.

Tensent Games' security team is committed to combating game cheating in both PC and mobile games.

The war against cheating reflects the broader challenge of balancing security with gaming's core values.

As AI advances, both cheaters and anti-cheat developers are in a race to push the boundaries of what's possible.