Newsletter
When it comes to AI-generated content, things are still pretty murky. Several companies are outlining their policies regarding this controversial tech, and Steam is the next company to do so. According to new reports, Steam will allow games using AI-generated content on the platform. However, there are still some things that developers need to know.
Since video games are constructed from code, visuals, and music, it’s possible that much of a game can be crafted using IA tools. Obviously, this is something that many traditional game developers don’t like. “Why should game developers, artists, and musicians go through years of training to create their games while AI users just generate their way to the top?” This is a question that many people ask.
At the moment, navigating this AI-generated landscape it’s difficult, and we probably won’t see any official legislation regarding AI for a while.
Steam will allow games that use AI content
Steam is one of the biggest video game storefronts on the planet, and many developers post their games there. However, with the rise of generative AI, we can expect to see many more games flood the market. This could lead to rapid fluctuations in quality. Thus, the company outlined its policy regarding AI-generated content in the games posted.
Pre-launch review
In a blog post, it outlined two types of AI-generated content found in games. There’s Pre-generated content and Live-generated content.
Pre-generated content involves the developers using AI-generated assets in the game’s development. Think about games that use AI-generated images, music, scripts, etc. Live-generated content involves the system using generative AI while the game itself is running. Say, if you play a game where the villagers are all using AI-generated voices generated in real-time, that qualifies as life-generated.
Games with Pre-generated and Live-generated content will be put under the same pre-release evaluation as other games on the platform. Steam will evaluate the quality of the game’s performance, visuals, audio, etc. to see if it lives up to its standards. So, if the game is of low quality and obviously cobbled together within a few days using 99% AI, it runs the risk of being rejected.
Games using Live-generated content will have an additional requirement. Developers need to write down what guardrails they used to make sure that the AI does not generate any legal content. They’ll do this in their Content Survey.
Disclaimers
Disclaimers are probably one of the biggest tools for people who oppose AI. If you use AI in your game, then you will need to disclose that on your store page. This is so that potential buyers will know that the game uses AI. Steam will actually use some of your Content Survey in the disclosure on the developers’ store page. This is so that people can know exactly how they’re using generative AI in their game.
Reporting AI-generated content
Next up, Steam is also unveiling a new system that will let people report any illegal activity in their games caused by generative AI content. There will be an in-game overlay that people can use to submit a report. This way, users can ring the bell if the AI generates any unsavory content. Steam refers to Illegal content, however, we can also rope in other types of AI misbehavior. This includes generating offensive and harmful content.
One exception to this policy revolves around adult-only sexual content generated using AI. The post says that it’s unable to release that type of content at the moment. So, we’ll have to wait for information on that.
This may upset several developers, but it’s still good to know that Steam is taking AI-generator content into consideration and that it’s policing this content.