Multiple reports emerged last week regarding a Reddit post made in June by user potterharry97, suggesting that Steam is rejecting games featuring AI-generated content. Subsequently, the game developer shared a similar post later in the month.
However, Valve has since clarified that the information is not entirely accurate. In a statement sent to IGN, Valve says that it is continuously learning about the rapidly evolving field of AI – just like everyone else. The company adds that it hopes to avoid discouraging developers from submitting games with AI-generated content to Steam.
Valve emphasised the importance of ensuring that developers have the appropriate rights for all the assets used in their games.
Protecting existing copyright
“We are continuing to learn about AI, the ways it can be used in game development, and how to factor it in to our process for reviewing games submitted for distribution on Steam,” Valve said. “Our priority, as always, is to try to ship as many of the titles we receive as we can. The introduction of AI can sometimes make it harder to show a developer has sufficient rights in using AI to create assets, including images, text, and music.
“In particular, there is some legal uncertainty relating to data used to train AI models. It is the developer’s responsibility to make sure they have the appropriate rights to ship their game.
“We welcome and encourage innovation, and AI technology is bound to create new and exciting experiences in gaming. While developers can use these AI technologies in their work with appropriate commercial licenses, they can not infringe on existing copyrights.
“While App-submission credits are usually non-refundable, we’re more than happy to offer them in cases as we continue to work on our review process.”
Valve’s PR representative Kaci Boyle also made a statement to The Verge regarding the company’s stance on AI where she reaffirms that the company’s goal is not to discourage the use of AI on Steam; rather, “We’re working through how to integrate it into our already-existing review policies.”
Boyle added that Steam will refund app-submission credits to developers whose games were rejected due to AI copyright concerns, as the company continues to improve its review process. This offer has also been extended to potterharry97.
The use of AI-generated art in games is rapidly increasing and in light of Valve’s copyright concerns, we may soon start seeing other app platforms such as Epic Games Store and EA’s Origin reject AI-generated content in games using thorough review processes to battle copyright infringement.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
