Steam backs down: will no longer ban games created using artificial intelligence

The development of artificial intelligence is not going unnoticed in the video game industry. Steam He knows this better than anyone. The Valve platform has announced an important change to its game approval policy. From now on, those who have used AI both in their development and in real-time content creation will be allowed to join.

This represents a crucial change for Steam, given that it found itself in the eye of a storm in mid-2023 after banning the distribution of games with artistic elements created using generative artificial intelligence. At the time, Gabe Newell’s people explained that the veto was a response to the developers’ inability to prove that the assets used were their property.

Dissatisfaction from some studios later led Steam to clarify that it “does not discourage” the use of AI in games. But even in this case, it was forced to introduce certain restrictions in order to legally protect itself. “Our review process is a reflection of laws and policies Copyright current, and not an additional layer in our opinion,” Valve said.

Now the company has announced that it will make changes to its methodology for reviewing games created using artificial intelligence. Something that, while it would force developers to report using said technology, will allow the “vast majority” of games to be approved and added to the Steam catalog..

Steam’s new policy on supporting AI-powered games

Steam has added a new section on artificial intelligence to the form that studios and developers must fill out when submitting a game for review. In it, they will have to describe how the technology was used, the implementation of which will be divided into two categories. This “previously generated” And “generated in real time”.

The first section talks about the use of AI in video game development. This includes the use of tools for creating visual and audio materials, as well as tools that allow automatic code generation or completion. Steam points out that studios will have to ensure their games don’t contain illegal content or violate their terms.

Meanwhile, the second section will require studios to disclose whether they use artificial intelligence to create content during games. In this case, it will be necessary to disclose the protection measures taken to prevent the creation of illegal or unauthorized materials.

Of course, Valve will not keep this information secret. No matter at what stage of development the AI ​​was used, Approved games will display a banner notifying users of the technology’s use on their Steam page.. Additionally, players will be able to report illegal content in games.

Specific restrictions remain

Although Steam claims that the “vast majority” of AI games will be approved, certain restrictions still remain. Suggestions that will continue to be prohibited will include adult sexual content generated in real time using AI.

Thus, Gabe Newell’s team is keen not to miss the opportunity to take advantage of the craze for this technology in the video game sector. But at the same time, they are insured against any possibility of being held accountable for distributing games that violate copyright or other laws using artificial intelligence.

Steam too apologized with the developers for the time needed to define this new policy. “[…] We don’t feel like we’re serving our players or development partners by rushing into such difficult decisions. “We will continue to learn from the games presented on Steam and legal progress in the field of artificial intelligence, and will reconsider this decision if necessary,” they explained.