Earticle

This paper discusses the changing concept of digital labor in the gaming environment of eSports. It refers to the term “human-machine hybridization” to investigate the formation of new working conditions under the conditions of computational technology. The first part of this paper examines three developments of automation that create immersive gaming environments powered by artificial intelligence. These developments include the enhancement of player immersion, the datafication of player engagement, and a self-enterprising data analytics business environment. The second part analyses how AI training software changes the playing style of competitive players and improves their practice skills. It elaborates a new mode of labor productivity mediated through a mathematical machine-learning model created for processing large-scale player data. Finally, it concludes with a discussion of digital labor as it emerges from the interaction between computer datafication, high-tech labor subjectivity, and corporate commodification in eSports.