Valve artist says that's "like saying food products shouldn't have their ingredients list" as Epic's Tim Sweeney and more call on Steam to drop the 'Made with AI' label

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Steam's way of categorizing AI is causing debate

Counter-Strike 2
(Image credit: Valve)

Discourse is swirling around Steam's AI labelling after Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney doubled down on calling out the platform's handling of such assets. In response to someone claiming the category is unnecessary, an artist at Valve says it's crucial for allowing people to make informed purchases.

Matt Workman, a cinematographer and motion capture specialist, posts on Twitter that "Steam and all digital marketplaces need to drop the 'Made with AI' label,” because he believes it's becoming meaningless. Ayi Sánchez, an artist who's contributed to Counter-Strike at Valve, disagrees.

Workman responds that art isn't comparable to food or appliances because they can be harmful to your health and wellbeing if improperly advertised. "I'm not afraid of the label personally. I think it's not enforced on Steam and the rules are not clear for developers or players," he adds.

They have another exchange over the distinction between household items and creative works, before Sánchez adds that labels for AI are an ethical concern, saying we shouldn't "excuse a technology" relying "on cultural laundering, IP infringement and slopification." He continues: "I know I am not alone thinking that creation is a matter of creators, not prompt engineers. Educated consumers will pick an original over counterfeit."

Over on LinkedIn, Workman weighs in further, sharing a story on Sweeney's comments and adding: "As it currently stands Valve/Steam's 'Made with AI' net is so wide it catches any developer who uses Unreal Engine, Google Suit (Gmail/Docs/Sheets), Slack (MANY AI automations), Adobe Products, Microsoft Office, etc. This lacks nuance."

While there are perhaps critiques to be made on Valve's execution for Steam's 'Made with AI' label, the fundamental idea of making sure players understand the tech has been used is sound. Some people care less than others on the inclusion of generative work in any given release, and we're all better for having more information, rather than less.

Microsoft shares study of gamers that reckons a whopping 79% are "open to help from AI," but let's all stop to consider the sample size: 1,500 people.

Anthony McGlynn
Anthony McGlynn
Contributing Writer

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.

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