Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has once again criticized Steam’s AI disclosure policy, calling the company’s stance on AI disclosure a “political act.”
Responding to a tweet in which someone called Valve’s AI disclosure policy “absurd,” Sweeney agreed, writing: “Forcing developers to write a political statement that will be used against them by the hate mob they help organize is abhorrent.”
In a separate tweet, he added: “The primary use of both categories of disclosures is to lead cancel campaigns against games and deprive them of income and livelihoods unless they adhere to the political goals of the movement. Yes, blocking free choice to adopt productive technology is a political act.
“Let’s say there’s a large contingent of gamers who don’t like Democrats or, equivalently, Republicans. Should Valve force developers to indicate their political affiliation? Is that consumer-friendly?” he added (thanks, IGN). “Do you think this policy would have a positive effect on the game?”
In another tweet, Sweeney wrote: “These statements about AI are just as partisan as mandatory political trials or forcing developers to list their voting history to lead override campaigns and public fight sessions.” Elsewhere, he said that “Epic has been extremely open with all developers and the general public about how we use AI.”
Sweeney has been outspoken about the use of AI in the gaming industry, previously saying that platforms should stop marking games that use AI and that the use of AI in development should have no bearing on how a game is received.
This isn’t the first time Sweeney has criticized Valve’s policies, either. Last June, he suggested that Valve’s decision to impose disclosure labels for projects on Steam using AI was “really irresponsible.”
“I think it’s really irresponsible of Valve,” he said at the time. “They shouldn’t do that, because it makes it much, much, much harder for a game developer to have a chance of success. You have to choose between not using tools that can make you much more productive, and probably failing because of competition that does.”
Gn tech
