Until now, Valve has been rejecting games from developers that used AI to generate content, a move that wasn't so much a stance against the technology but a pause so the Steam platform holder could figure out how to handle AI games regarding copyright and other policies.
In a new post titled 'AI Content on Steam,' Valve has provided a comprehensive update on what it calls "the fast-moving and legally murky space of AI technology." After talking with developers and learning about AI in game development, the company plans to "release the vast majority of games that use" AI.
The good news is that gamers will know which titles were created with the help of generative AI, as developers will need to disclose the use of AI tools when submitting a game to Steam. "We will also include much of your disclosure on the Steam store page for your game, so customers can also understand how the game uses AI," Valve writes.
There is also an agreement where developers must promise Valve that their games do not include illegal or copyright-infringing content. The agreement also extends to live-generated AI content, which could be discussions with NPCs whose responses are generated on-the-fly. For that type of content, developers will need to tell Valve what guards are in place to ensure content generated while players are playing games is all legal and above board.
Valve carries out copyright checks for games submitted to the platform and will continue to do so for this new wave of AI games. However, it's also releasing a new reporting system for players to "report illegal content inside games that contain Live-Generated AI content" using Steam's in-game overlay.
"Today's changes are the result of us improving our understanding of the landscape and risks in this space, as well as talking to game developers using AI and those building AI tools," Valve concludes. "This will allow us to be much more open to releasing games using AI technology on Steam."
With the AI floodgates now open on Steam, there is one exception: Adult Only Sexual Content created with Live-Generated AI. That's a no-no.
