Abstract:
Epic Games head Tim Sweeney once again criticized Steam's generative AI disclosure requirements. He believes that the relevant mark on the store page may change from a technical description to a position label, causing some consumers who are opposed to AI to turn their negative attitude towards the development team and affecting the sales of the work.
This discussion began with a post by Matt Workman, an employee of cloud generation tool company Fal. Workman said it was ridiculous to still require disclosure of AI use in 2026, and Sweeney later expressed support and described the approach as disgusting. He has previously compared such labels to "scarlet letters" and believes that as AI enters more development stages, individual labels will gradually lose their meaning.
Steam currently requires developers to describe the specific uses of generative AI. The store page of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4" states that the team used such tools to produce some game resources. Valve stated that this policy aims to maintain transparency and allow buyers to understand how content is generated; the platform does not prohibit developers from adopting new technologies, and relevant rules may continue to be adjusted as technology changes.
The dispute also involves rights to training materials, the impact of AI on the creative process, and the environmental costs of large-scale AI systems. When Epic recently updated the Epic Games Launcher, it also proactively mentioned the use of AI-assisted programming; its Unreal Engine game creation event once set requirements for generating tools, but later changed it to allow contestants to decide the extent of their use. At present, the differences between the two parties focus on the balance between consumers' right to know and developers' reputation risks. Sweeney has not yet proposed a specific plan to replace the current labeling system.
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