Steam Week in Review: AI disclosures enter the discourse again, as Epic CEO calls them 'just as partisan as mandatory political essays'
All the interesting Steam facts for the week ending October 25.
In the latest "Steam Week in Review," AI disclosures once again take center stage, largely due to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who remains vocal in his opposition to such requirements. The debate has been reignited in October as Epic Games revealed its pivot towards AI-first development for upcoming Star Wars and Marvel crossover games, followed by an AI game jam featuring an optional AI usage policy.
However, the main battleground has shifted to Twitter, where Sweeney has criticized Valve's Steam for forcing developers to disclose AI usage, likening it to a partisan political essay.
Sweeney's main concern is the potential economic fallout from Valve's AI disclosure policy, which he claims undermines developers' businesses and livelihoods. He argues that the political statements required by Valve are just as partisan as mandatory political essays and can lead to cancel campaigns and public struggle sessions. He even goes so far as to claim that Valve is burning down the businesses of good developers to enforce their politics.
Valve, on the other hand, defends its AI disclosure policy, stating that it was initially imposed due to uncertainty surrounding the legal and ethical use of AI in game development. They have since improved their understanding of the landscape and are open to releasing more games using AI technology on Steam as they continue to learn from submitted games and legal progress around AI.
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