Modulate

Modulate is a Boston-based startup founded in 2019 that develops AI-powered voice moderation technology for online gaming and digital communication platforms. The company's flagship product, ToxMod, uses advanced machine learning to analyze voice conversations in real-time, detecting toxic behaviors like hate speech, harassment, and discriminatory language. ToxMod aims to make online spaces safer and more inclusive by flagging problematic content for human moderators to review. The technology goes beyond simple transcription, taking into account factors like emotion, volume, and conversational context to differentiate between harmful speech and playful banter. Modulate's AI models can detect nuanced issues like potential radicalization or grooming attempts by analyzing behavior patterns over time. The company claims ToxMod can identify toxic content with over 98% accuracy and elicit 25 times faster responses from human moderators compared to traditional methods. In 2022, Modulate raised USD 30 million in Series A funding to scale up its operations and technology development. The company uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure, specifically Amazon EC2 G5g instances, to power ToxMod, which has helped reduce infrastructure costs by 80% compared to previous setups.

Key customers and partnerships

Modulate has partnered with several major game publishers and platforms to implement ToxMod. In August 2023, Activision announced it would integrate ToxMod into Call of Duty titles, starting with Modern Warfare III. Other notable clients include Riot Games and Gun Raiders Entertainment. Rockstar Games began testing ToxMod in Grand Theft Auto Online in December 2023. The technology has also been adopted by games like Among Us VR. Modulate works with clients across various scales, from indie developers to AAA studios, offering features like 24/7 enterprise-grade support and single-tenant licenses for publishers with multiple games.