Do not allow AI games onto Steam.

[Eternal Echo]

Steam recently announced it was going to allow AI games onto its platform. Respectfully, do not allow AI games onto your platform in any capacity; it is nigh impossible for users to identify AI-generated materials en masse and the marketplace will be flooded with games that are barely games at all.

Quality control will go down the sink and you'll find players refunding their games left and right and outright refusing to buy new ones out of a well-earned fear of getting an AI turd.

Those who use AI are not forthcoming; they know that AI will turn off buyers and keep it a secret even from those who ask. I have asked developers about who drew their art and who then told me in private that it was AI generated and asked me to not tell anyone.

You will have a deluge of AI-generated games from developers who will not admit to using AI and in such large quantities that users cannot possibly identify them all and it will result in subpar, incomplete, and non-functional games by the dozen. Users will refund these aplenty if they're not already holding back on buying games because they're worried about buying AI drivel.

I urge Steam to immediately take back this decision. It may come across as an indecisive "flip-flop" but gamers and developers will be happy that you are listening to them and it will restore faith in the Steam brand before that faith is destroyed by AI games.

I hope you do this soon because I am of the opinion that I should probably move to Good Old Games if AI is allowed on this platform.

[artzpiip]

Question: Where you draw the line? Do you mean AI with training data or not?

[TheDiabadass]

I agree whole heartedly with Eternal Echo. Hearing that steam is going to allow games built with generative AI assets or LLM is making me significantly more cautious in buying games from Steam.

[[N]ebsun]

Originally posted by Eternal Echo:

it is nigh impossible for users to identify AI-generated materials en masse

Quality control will go down the sink and you'll find players refunding their games left and right and outright refusing to buy new ones out of a well-earned fear of getting an AI turd.

You will have a deluge of AI-generated games from developers who will not admit to using AI and in such large quantities that users cannot possibly identify them all and it will result in subpar, incomplete, and non-functional games by the dozen. Users will refund these aplenty if they're not already holding back on buying games because they're worried about buying AI drivel.

If users cannot tell the difference.... then why does it matter ?
and if it really does make a difference... then the reviews will tell all.. and the buyers can get their refund.

Like - you are saying.. people can't tell the difference, but then saying it must be low quality ? which one is it ?

That's like eating something, saying "wow it tastes great" then someone tells you it's made from pig brains and you suddenly think it tastes bad.

You should be judging things based on how they are, not by how they came to be. If AI can make artwork that is just as good or better than anyone else, then so be it - why should it be blocked just because it was computer generated ?

Also.. AI is used in almost every game already - where do you think computer players / bots come from ?

[Sleepy Yoshi]

If they don't admit to using AI i.e. lying in their disclosure agreement with Valve, then it stands to reason if reported they would face the potential of being removed from the platform. I'm not saying some won't try it, because there are always people that try to bend or outright break the rules, but I'm sceptical it will even be a plurality of those that submit games with AI generated art, let alone a majority.. It remains to be seen though how thorough Valve will be here, but we'll see. I imagine the report system is going to end up being more work then they're bargaining for.

As far as quality control...lol...that's funny. It doesn't exist currently, so what's changing in that regard? I imagine they'll have a toggle like they do with VR, Early Access etc...and that's your quality control.

[Pscht]

Better stop using Nvidia DLSS if you are afraid of computer overlords deciding what you see.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by TheDiabadass:

I agree whole heartedly with Eternal Echo. Hearing that steam is going to allow games built with generative AI assets or LLM is making me significantly more cautious in buying games from Steam.

I honestly don't see how it'd be any different from procedurally generated games today
What Stopped Steam before is simply that there's still the overarching question as to who owns the product of the AI.

[Gwarsbane]

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Originally posted by TheDiabadass:

I agree whole heartedly with Eternal Echo. Hearing that steam is going to allow games built with generative AI assets or LLM is making me significantly more cautious in buying games from Steam.

I honestly don't see how it'd be any different from procedurally generated games today
What Stopped Steam before is simply that there's still the overarching question as to who owns the product of the AI.

Its already been determined in court that AI "art" can not be copyrighted. So people making games with AI might want to rethink things. If someone does something with their game and they try to sue, they might lose in court.

https://www.wired.com/story/ai-art-copyright-matthew-allen/

[KalGimpa]

Originally posted by Gwarsbane:

Originally posted by Start_Running:

I honestly don't see how it'd be any different from procedurally generated games today
What Stopped Steam before is simply that there's still the overarching question as to who owns the product of the AI.

Its already been determined in court that AI "art" can not be copyrighted. So people making games with AI might want to rethink things. If someone does something with their game and they try to sue, they might lose in court.

https://www.wired.com/story/ai-art-copyright-matthew-allen/

going to open a whole new can or worms with companies and such

one just used an ai system to find a new material for batteries

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/01/09/microsoft-ai-battery-lithium/

does this make it open to anyone to use?

interesting times

[eram]

you have the option not to buy the game

[wawawiwa]

AI slops or stock asset slops, which one do you preferred

[Ben Lubar]

There are already many games that use generative AI, either during development or at runtime, on Steam. The new policy is that the games have to explicitly state that they use generative AI in a place where every potential customer can see it.

[TheDiabadass]

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Originally posted by TheDiabadass:

I agree whole heartedly with Eternal Echo. Hearing that steam is going to allow games built with generative AI assets or LLM is making me significantly more cautious in buying games from Steam.

I honestly don't see how it'd be any different from procedurally generated games today
What Stopped Steam before is simply that there's still the overarching question as to who owns the product of the AI.

Procedurally generated levels or such still use assets that the developer either owns or has licensed through the whole process. generative AI is built on models that steal art. dont get me wrong, a procedurally generated level is often way less interesting than a hand crafted level, but depending on the games needs, that difference isnt a big deal, like roguelites. But its still not a thief's slop fest.

[Ben Lubar]

Originally posted by TheDiabadass:

Originally posted by Start_Running:

I honestly don't see how it'd be any different from procedurally generated games today
What Stopped Steam before is simply that there's still the overarching question as to who owns the product of the AI.

Procedurally generated levels or such still use assets that the developer either owns or has licensed through the whole process. generative AI is built on models that steal art. dont get me wrong, a procedurally generated level is often way less interesting than a hand crafted level, but depending on the games needs, that difference isnt a big deal, like roguelites. But its still not a thief's slop fest.

Specifically, procedurally generated levels are generally just a computer deciding a series of numbers that represent which pre-built asset to use where. Numbers aren't copyrightable. The assets it picks between are generally hand-made.

[TheDiabadass]

Originally posted by Nebsun:

Originally posted by Eternal Echo:

it is nigh impossible for users to identify AI-generated materials en masse

Quality control will go down the sink and you'll find players refunding their games left and right and outright refusing to buy new ones out of a well-earned fear of getting an AI turd.

You will have a deluge of AI-generated games from developers who will not admit to using AI and in such large quantities that users cannot possibly identify them all and it will result in subpar, incomplete, and non-functional games by the dozen. Users will refund these aplenty if they're not already holding back on buying games because they're worried about buying AI drivel.

If users cannot tell the difference.... then why does it matter ?
and if it really does make a difference... then the reviews will tell all.. and the buyers can get their refund.

Like - you are saying.. people can't tell the difference, but then saying it must be low quality ? which one is it ?

That's like eating something, saying "wow it tastes great" then someone tells you it's made from pig brains and you suddenly think it tastes bad.

You should be judging things based on how they are, not by how they came to be. If AI can make artwork that is just as good or better than anyone else, then so be it - why should it be blocked just because it was computer generated ?

Also.. AI is used in almost every game already - where do you think computer players / bots come from ?

You seem to be kind of intentionally missing the "refund" part of the statement. It will be difficult to identify games using generative AI beforehand, and until I actually see where the developers show they used AI, I don't know how much easier it will be to identify it after this policy is implemented.

Once you start playing the game and run into generative AI assets though, itll be quickly identified as slop and refunded, which will hurt steam.

A more accurate metaphor is that you buy a burger, take a bite, and realize just beneath the surface of the beef is just pure ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.

Lastly, its extremely clear that OP is talking about generative AI. Its a completely different machine than what we refer to as AI with bots and computer players.

[TheDiabadass]

Originally posted by Ben Lubar:

There are already many games that use generative AI, either during development or at runtime, on Steam. The new policy is that the games have to explicitly state that they use generative AI in a place where every potential customer can see it.

For me, I was under the impression AI games were not allowed on steam. Then with this news I was informed that they are allowed on steam and they will now have to be labeled. I think that is better than them not being labelled, but I don't really know where that label is going to be. If its right next to the buy button, or a prompt pops up when you add a game to your cart, then I will probably be less cautious and not care. If it's any more obscure than that, like at the bottom of the game feature description or past the game specs, it probably won't affect you and me, but it will affect a lot less savvy costumers who then will slowly begin to distrust steam games.

(Also thanks for the extra information in response to my other comment. It was a good addition and helps express my point and I appreciate that)