Steam Next Fest, Valve's ongoing event showcasing indie game demos, has become a focal point for community discontent regarding the prevalence of AI-generated content. Many attendees have noted a significant rise in games featuring AI-generated art and assets, leading to calls for more robust filtering tools on the platform.
The issue was brought to the forefront by a Steam subreddit user, ScalesGhost, who proposed an AI-generated content filter. "I just wish I could personalize it a bit more. Specifically, I would like the ability to filter out all games that have AI-Generated content in them," the user wrote, referencing Steam's existing tagging system and the platform's requirement for developers to disclose AI usage. Other users echoed this sentiment, with one commenter, EmmaBooney, stating, "it's all AI slop and I dont want to participate." Another user, aesoprowwy, suggested that a drop in engagement metrics due to the influx of AI games might prompt Valve to implement stricter submission guidelines.
While Steam Next Fest has historically featured a wide array of games, including many low-effort titles, the perceived increase in AI-generated submissions this year has amplified player concerns. Valve's general approach to curation on Steam has largely relied on algorithmic promotion of popular titles, a method that some feel is becoming less effective with the proliferation of AI-generated content.
The discussion around AI in game development comes at a time when its integration is becoming more common across the industry. Recent reports indicate that Epic Games is encouraging developers to adopt an "AI-first" approach for some projects, and the company's CEO has highlighted the use of AI in developing internal tools like the Epic Games Store launcher. Additionally, Capcom has announced plans to incorporate AI into its RE Engine, aiming to assist in game creation and development.