Roblox CEO defends AI facial age scans, says predator problem is also an “opportunity”

Roblox CEO David Baszucki has defended the platform’s new AI-powered facial age estimation system, stating he views Roblox’s predator problem “not necessarily just as a problem, but an opportunity.”

The comments come as Roblox faces lawsuits and public scrutiny over child safety on the platform. Baszucki joined the New York Times’ Hard Fork podcast to discuss Roblox’s decision to roll out mandatory facial age estimation for users who want full communication features.

The company says the system, which does not store images, will help separate minors from adults and restrict chat between distant age groups. Roblox previously relied on text filtering, photo ID uploads, and self-reported ages, which the company acknowledges are less reliable at scale.

CEO calls the safety challenge an “opportunity”

When asked directly about the scale of predator activity on Roblox, Baszucki said the issue is “not necessarily just as a problem, but an opportunity as well,” adding that Roblox has been working on safety systems since its earliest years.

He cited the platform’s size, 150 million daily active users and 11 billion hours played each month, as a driver for adopting new technologies like facial age estimation.

The system works by prompting users to scan their face using a phone or computer. Baszucki said the results are generated automatically and used alongside existing signals to determine age ranges. According to him, combining multiple inputs “really helps” determine accurate ages and prevent minors from misrepresenting themselves.

Pushback after lawsuit comments in the interview

Later in the conversation, show host Casey Newton referenced ongoing lawsuits and investigations that describe Roblox as a place “where predators go to find kids.”

Baszucki cut in to reject that characterization, saying, “I would categorically reject the actual description of what you’re saying,” though he acknowledged that media coverage may frame it that way.

Newton pressed further, asking whether Roblox believes it has a predator problem. Baszucki responded by saying the company is “doing an incredible job at innovating” to stay ahead of safety risks, pointing again to Roblox’s investment in filtering systems and new age checks.

He did not directly confirm or deny the extent of the problem described in lawsuits.

The interview also touched on concerns about users bypassing age checks. Baszucki said Roblox can re-check ages dynamically and use device signals to detect inconsistencies, arguing it will become increasingly difficult for users to spoof their identity.

Roblox recently announced that children will be blocked from chatting with adults or much older teens unless their ages are verified as similar, a policy change that followed multiple lawsuits alleging the platform failed to prevent grooming.