Valve clarifies Steam AI usage, highlighting “efficiency gains” separate from AI-generated game content.

As generative AI becomes a staple in game development, a new Steam tag has been introduced to identify titles that incorporate this technology. This update specifically highlights the use of AI in public assets, setting them apart from other applications of the tools.

Simon Carless from GameDiscoverCon spotted changes in Steam’s backend regarding the questions posed to developers. The original inquiry asked, “Does this game use generative artificial intelligence to generate content for the game, either pre-rendered or live-rendered?” This encompassed the game itself, its store page, and any community assets or marketing materials.

Initially, developers were presented with checkboxes for both pre-rendered and live-rendered content, along with a text box for additional details. However, the questions have since been revised to provide more flexibility regarding a studio’s development process.

The current wording states, “Efficiency gains through the use of these tools is not the focus of this section. Instead, it is concerned with the use of AI in creating content that is shipped with your game and is consumed by players.”

The original intent remains largely unchanged, suggesting that Valve aims to clarify what tags help consumers make informed purchases while allowing developers some leeway in their use of AI outside of player-facing content.

There has been ongoing dialogue about employing bots during the concept phase. For instance, Larian Studios, the team behind Baldur’s Gate 3, mentioned using AI for visuals and flavor text, although the latter was ultimately discarded for not meeting quality standards.

The introduction of AI tags by Valve sparked controversy, drawing comments from industry figures about their practical value to users. It’s clear that the conversation around AI in game development is far from over, and further adjustments to these criteria are likely on the horizon.

“Steam is winning with its ease of use,” but concerns about quality persist, as the new owner of GOG reflects on strategies to compete with Valve, noting, “We don’t release hundreds of games daily, 95% of which are really not super high quality.”