Valve, the company behind the Steam gaming platform, has announced that it will be banning games with AI content that infringe on copyright. The decision comes after discussions on social media about Valve’s handling of AI assets in video games. In a statement to IGN, Valve said that they are continuously learning about AI and its applications in game development, and are working to incorporate it into their game review process.
The main issue with AI content is the difficulty in determining whether developers have the rights to use certain assets. Valve expressed concern about the use of AI in creating content such as images, text, and music, as it can make it harder to prove that the developer has the necessary rights. It is particularly challenging to ascertain whether developers have the rights to the training data used for the AI models.
Valve emphasizes that developers are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate rights to publish their games. While Valve intends to comply with evolving laws and policies, they admit that the laws are still in the early stages. Previously, Valve had sent emails to several developers notifying them that their games would be removed due to AI content, leading many to interpret this as a blanket removal of all games with AI-generated content from the platform.
The use of AI tools has become increasingly prevalent in the gaming industry. Companies like Activision Blizzard have utilized generative AI to create illustrations for games like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. The Unity games platform has also introduced two tools that aid in game development using AI.
As the gaming industry continues to explore the potential of AI, platforms like Steam are facing new challenges in determining copyright compliance. Valve’s approach to banning games with AI content that infringes on copyright reflects the complexities surrounding this issue.
