Should game developers be forced to declare any usage of AI? Epic's billionaire CEO Tim Sweeney is against it — "AI will be involved in nearly all future production"

Currently, Steam and other storefronts require developers to disclose whether generative AI is used in their games. This appears as a clear AI-generated content disclosure on each store page.

Supporters say it helps them make an informed choice and avoid what many are calling AI slop, a term aimed at low-effort releases designed to make a quick profit. This has also led to some indie developers promoting their work as AI-free to build trust and stand out online.

On the other side, major publishers and engine makers continue to adopt AI-assisted tools throughout their pipelines. For those teams, AI is quickly becoming another standard part of development rather than a feature that needs special attention.

What Tim Sweeney argues and how the community has responded

Tim Sweeney, Epic Games CEO, replied to a post on X (Formerly Twitter) from user @cinedatabase that said “Steam and all digital marketplaces need to drop the ‘Made with AI’ label. It doesn’t matter any more.”

In his response, Sweeney said:

Some people agree that many modern development tools will rely on AI, which raises the question of where the line should be drawn. For many, that line seems to be generative AI, particularly when it comes to generated art.

A repost from user @EZE3D gained more than seven thousand likes and made the case for clear disclosure. The post said:

How AI is currently being used in games

One of the most popular games right now, ARC Raiders, found itself in controversy over its use of AI. The team stated that procedural and AI-based tools assisted with development, and that voice actors signed off on their voices being used for AI and were compensated for their work. The game uses machine learning to shape enemy behaviour, and it includes AI-generated text-to-speech trained on real performers.

The studio also clarified that these tools were used to support production rather than replace core creative roles. This helped ease some concerns, although the debate around voice training and long-term rights continues to follow the game.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 saw far less pushback, even though it uses AI-generated calling cards. Black Ops 6 also used AI-generated art for its store bundles. Both games list a generative AI disclosure on Steam as required.

It feels as though AI tools used to help the development process are here to stay, regardless of whether the AI bubble bursts or not, but deciding what is acceptable and not remains a difficult line to draw.

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