Valve, a prominent game development company, has raised concerns about the legality of using artificial intelligence (AI) assets in game development. Several game developers have recently experienced rejections from Valve, citing concerns about copyright law and the use of AI. In a statement released by Valve, they expressed reservations about allowing games with AI assets on their Steam store, as it becomes more challenging to prove that developers have the necessary rights to use AI-generated assets such as images, text, and music.
According to a rejection letter posted on the AIGameDev subreddit, Valve stated that they had identified intellectual property in a game that appeared to belong to third parties. The game contained art assets generated by AI, which relied on copyrighted material owned by others. The letter explained that due to the unclear legal ownership of AI-generated art, the game could not be shipped unless the developer could confirm ownership of the rights to the entire dataset used to train the AI.
The issue of using training data without proper compensation is a significant concern in the field of AI, not only in game development but also in other industries. Companies like Ubisoft, Ninja Theory, and Roblox have spoken openly about incorporating AI into their development processes. However, questions surrounding the source of training data have led to pushback. For instance, voice actors have criticized the use of their voices to train voice-based AI.
In a recent copyright case involving the comic book character Zarya of the Dawn, the U.S. Copyright Office ruled that the author could not copyright images created with AI because they are not the result of human authorship. Valve clarified that their review process aligns with current copyright laws and policies, and it is not an additional layer of opinion. They emphasized that as laws and policies evolve, so will their review process.
Valve’s spokesperson highlighted their openness to integrating AI and other emerging technologies into their policies. They acknowledged that AI technology has the potential to create innovative and exciting gaming experiences. However, developers must utilize these AI technologies with appropriate commercial licenses and without infringing on existing copyrights. Additionally, Valve stated that they would refund the app-submission credits to the developers affected by this particular instance.
In conclusion, Valve has expressed concerns about the legality of including AI assets in game development. They are hesitant to allow games with AI-generated content on their Steam store due to the uncertainties surrounding copyright law and the use of training data. While Valve supports innovation and welcomes the use of AI, they emphasize the importance of respecting copyright and having proper licensing. As laws and policies develop, Valve’s review process will adapt accordingly.
