Discord snaps up anti-harassment AI developer Sentropy

Newsbrief: Discord has bought up Sentropy, a software developer that creates artificial intelligence-driven tools designed to combat online harassment.

In a Medium post from Sentropy CEO John Redgrave, the company founder writes that he’s been impressed by Discord’s “deep commitment to safety,” and that the company will continue to be focused on “fighting hate and abuse on the internet.”

“Our team’s focus will be on helping Discord expand and evolve its [Trust and Safety] capabilities,” he writes.  “We are also inspired by Discord’s commitment to knowledge-sharing and capability-building in the content moderation space, as exemplified by their Moderator Academy.”

Redgrave writes that the company’s “Detect” and “Defend” products offered to other companies will remain online until September 30^th, 2021. Its “Protect” product was shut off on July 1^st in advance of this acquisition.

Discord spent the first part of 2021 flirting with the notion of itself being acquired by a company by Microsoft. Now it seems it will be the one doing the acquiring.