Generative AI has taken over the modding scene, with modders mashing together existing games and using AI-assisted code to, for example, put the Nemesis system from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor into Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2.
Nexus Mods, the biggest platform for mods on the internet, has reacted by enforcing mandatory disclosure for mods with AI-assisted code, and letting users filter AI-assisted mods out of their search criteria or preferences.
"We are pro-human creativity," Nexus Mods co-owner Victor 'Foledinho' Folmann said in a blog post, before further explaining why the site won’t outright ban AI mods entirely.
“You may ask me why [we won’t ban AI mods], since that is not the solution some of you were looking for,” he said. “The answer is simple: AI is currently used throughout the whole process of creation, from script autocompletion to generation of textures, voices, and full assets, and it is difficult to draw a clear boundary between what is acceptable and unacceptable."
Foledinho believes an outright ban would just encourage modders to hide AI use. “It should be out in the open, clearly labelled, and regulated according to the rules that we can implement on our platform," he said.
Modders will have to declare whether their mod is AI-assisted, primarily AI-generated, or features promotional material generated by AI. A “public explanation of how and where AI was used” is also required on the mod’s page.
The use of AI in development is perhaps the hottest topic in the video game industry. While Steam has an AI discosure policy for store pages, Valve does not limit AI-focused developer access to its platform, nor block "AI slop" from from it despite complaints from fans and developers about the deluge of low effort games that flooded the recent Steam Next Fest. Valve also put the onus on developers to ensure their game stands out amid the detritus. In particular, there’s been a big issue on Steam of developers having their games instantly cloned with AI as soon as they share any development progress.
"Rather than relying on a single mechanic that someone can easily copy, you need to keep growing your game by adding features, personality, and creativity that stem from your own perspective," Valve’s Tom Giardino recently said.
Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney recently called mandatory AI disclaimers “a political act,” criticizing Steam and Valve in particular. Meanwhile, indie game storefront Itch.io recently deleted what it called “terabytes of AI slop” flooding its service. "Just because you can upload 10 terabytes of poorly optimized AI generated models doesn't mean you should upload 10 terabytes of poorly optimized AI generated models," Itch said.
As for Nexus Mods, existing mods have a 60 day grace period to comply with the new rules. If they haven’t updated by January 2, they potentially face account restrictions. "As I said before, this is a complicated subject, and I don't expect everyone to agree with every decision we've made, or will make in the future," Foledinho added. "We've had to consider many sides and preferences when discussing it all; some people would prefer to prohibit AI-generated content entirely, while others embrace it and want fewer restrictions. We've considered both sides, but ultimately we need to make decisions we believe are right for Nexus Mods and our community as a whole."
Image credit: Nexus Mods.