Chapter 1: Introduction to Valve's Policy

Valve, the entity behind the widely-used gaming platform Steam, has reportedly begun to prohibit games that incorporate art assets generated through artificial intelligence. The primary concern appears to be the ambiguous legal ownership of such AI-generated artwork, which could potentially infringe on the copyrights held by third parties.

This policy came to light via a Reddit user named potterharry97, who shared that their game faced rejection and a ban from Valve due to the inclusion of AI-created assets sourced from Stable Diffusion, an AI art generator employing neural style transfer techniques to produce images inspired by existing ones.

“I attempted to launch a game about a month ago, featuring several assets that were unmistakably AI-generated,” potterharry97 mentioned in a now-private post. “My approach was to submit a rough version of the game, containing 2–3 assets or sprites that were clearly AI-generated, with the intention to enhance them before the final release, unaware that Steam had reservations about AI-generated art.”

However, potterharry97 received a notification from Valve stating: “Given the unclear legal ownership of such AI-generated artwork, we cannot proceed with your game's release while it contains these assets unless you can definitively confirm ownership of all intellectual property related to the data set that trained the AI.”

After making art edits to obscure any “clear indicators of AI,” potterharry97 resubmitted the game, but Valve maintained its refusal to distribute it, citing uncertainties regarding the rights of the underlying AI technology used for asset creation.

“I had no idea AI art was prohibited, as I had heard of its application and even witnessed some overt examples myself,” potterharry97 commented in a discussion thread.

Section 1.1: Inconsistencies in Valve's Policy

Valve’s stance appears inconsistent when compared to other games that openly utilize AI-generated content, such as This Girl Does Not Exist, which employs StyleGAN, a generative adversarial network (GAN) capable of generating lifelike portraits of non-existent individuals. The game’s description notes: “This Girl Does Not Exist is an experimental game where players can engage with a girl entirely created by artificial intelligence. She doesn't exist in reality, yet she is capable of conversing and responding to inquiries.”

Subsection 1.1.1: Ethical and Legal Challenges of AI Art

The emergence of AI-generated content has sparked numerous ethical and legal challenges, including questions of authorship, originality, consent, and quality. One of the main issues with utilizing AI for artistic creation is the ambiguity surrounding ownership rights of the resultant work. While the AI cannot claim authorship, neither can the person who merely provided data and initiated the process. Furthermore, the data itself may be drawn from existing works protected by copyright.

“AI-generated content is not inherently negative or unethical. It can serve as a powerful catalyst for creativity and innovation, as well as a source of entertainment and education. However, it necessitates careful consideration and regulation to ensure that it respects the rights and interests of all parties involved,” I expressed in my opinion.

Chapter 2: Exploring Video Insights

This video discusses the implications of Valve's decision to ban games utilizing AI-generated art, highlighting the legal complexities and industry reactions.

In this video, the recent changes to Steam’s AI policy are examined, detailing the impact on developers and the potential future of AI in gaming.

Relevant articles:

• Valve is reportedly banning games featuring AI generated content, Video Games Chronicle, June 29, 2023
• Steam Might Be Banning Games Made With AI Art, Kotaku Australia, June 29, 2023
• Steam’s Ban On Games Using AI Art Is Inconsistent, Gameranx, June 29, 2023
• Developer claims Steam is rejecting games with AI-generated artwork, Ars Technica, June 29, 2023

Trendy Digests is your daily source for trending stories to stay informed about global happenings. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to connect with us!