Capture the AI Flag

While interest is great and usage is extensive, (Gen)AI’s expanding so rapidly it’s easy to get left behind. As Joe Atkinson, Global Chief AI Officer, PwC, noted in quoting an oft-said phrase when talking about whether AI will take over from humans in the workforce, “AI isn’t coming for our jobs, someone who knows how to use AI effectively is coming for our jobs.” 

To help people and companies get up to speed quickly with (Gen)AI, and in a fun way, PwC Belgium has devised a bespoke “Capture the AI Flag” game. Explains Quinten Devreker, Experience Centre Lead, PwC Belgium, “Capture the AI Flag is an action-packed game using and about Gen AI where players need to help their AI buddy Flaggi solve a series of challenges.”

“Flaggi was the brainchild of one of our Experience Centre team. We’d been discussing how to really get people to know and learn about AI, and the instant impact it can have in your daily operations when you play with it. It's a bit like learning to cook. You can buy and read all the cooking books you like, but if you don't practice, you’re not cooking." So, he suggested making a game out of it, to enable people to play with the technology in different ways and see exactly what it can do and how it can add value in different contexts. That’s exactly how Capture the AI Flag works. It allows you to test your AI knowledge, maturity and level of capability,” Quinten Devreker adds.

Capture the AI Flag takes about 60-90 minutes to play. People can work in teams or individually to solve the challenges that Flaggi presents them with. “The mechanics of the game are actually very simple. You have a simple screen with an AI Toolbox providing you with today's most commonly used AI applications. About 25-30 challenges are presented to you by Flaggi that you can use any of the AI applications to solve. It really enables people to gain more knowledge about (Gen)AI. By playing the game, you learn a lot, no matter your (Gen)AI maturity level.”

Indeed, the game’s designed to cater to different levels of AI maturity by offering different levels of assistance. “Capture the AI Flag is a game, so it’s supposed to be fun. People who already know more about AI and how to use it will require less help and hints than those who know less. We’ve facilitators on hand as well throughout the experience to help people when they’re really stuck. It helps make sure that the game is challenging and fun for everyone,” Quinten Devreker explains. And he adds, “collaboration and working with your teammates is key to solving challenges, which makes it a great teambuilding experience too.”

People sign up to play Capture the AI Flag for many different reasons. Enthuses Quinten Devreker, “It’s primarily an AI upskilling game, but it’s also a great conversation starter about AI. Depending on the AI maturity and availability of the players, the length and intensity of the game can be altered, and AI experts are always on hand to facilitate the game. Last, but by no means least, Capture the AI Flag acts as a training accelerator. And as the game is evolving alongside AI, there’s always something new to learn.” The game’s creators have been surprised by how the game’s evolved. “There were a couple of challenges at the beginning that were hard to solve, but because AI’s moved on and the power of AI applications is now greater and more diverse, they’ve become easier. We’re constantly looking at how we can continue to make sure the game remains challenging and fun as the technology advances,” Quinten Devreker notes.

The game can also be tailored to suit different contexts to help make sure that players are learning things that are of real value to them. “For example, if somebody from a finance department was playing the game, some of the challenges could be different compared to if someone was working in HR or in sales. Or if someone’s a manufacturer of cars compared to a manufacturer in the food industry,” Quinten Devreker says. 

Capture the AI Flag has already gained great attention within PwC Belgium and other PwC firms globally. It’s also available to clients looking to increase their knowledge of AI and challenge their people. It can be played in one location or indeed virtually.