Steam bans games that use AI-generated art due to copyright issues. Earlier today, a handful of creators reported that Steam, a major gaming platform, has rejected their games that use AI-generated assets. This clearly indicates that the use of artificial intelligence requires clear regulation and rules. As for the creators of the game, they need to get the intellectual property rights.
Do games that use AI-generated art have copyright issues?
developer game Try submitting a game to Steam with AI-generated assets. But it fails due to lack of permissions for such assets. Valve, the creator of Steam, states that a developer must verify ownership of the IP used to train the AI before releasing games with AI-generated content. It’s worth noting that some well-known AI art games, including Atomic Heart and High on Life, are still available on Steam. So does this mean Steam’s policy only works for concrete content creators?
PSA: Valve quietly bans newly submitted Steam games using AI-generated art assets — if applicants can’t prove they have the rights to the assets used to train the algorithms: pic.twitter.com/5KhzJESYxk
— Simon Carless (@simoncarless) June 29, 2023
The legal status of art generated by AI content remains uncertain, as copyright protection does not extend to such works in the United States. Japan also imposed restrictions to protect the professions of artists. Steam’s moves against AI art match its efforts to stop bad behavior, such as banning games that involve cryptography and NFTs.
We also need to point out that Valve’s use of automated detection methods to find games that contain AI elements may result in bugs. Developers must verify ownership of all artwork to publish games on Steam. The ongoing discourse around AI-generated art sheds light on the challenges facing platforms and developers in the changing field of AI.
It remains unclear how Valve will handle this case, and whether it will provide any additional explanation of its policy. In any case, game developers must be ready to prove that they have rights to all assets used in their games. Otherwise, Steam and other platforms will not accept them.
