Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has again voiced strong opposition to Valve's policy requiring developers to disclose the use of AI in game creation. On his X account, Sweeney characterized the requirement as "abhorrent" and a forced "political statement."
This stance from Sweeney comes as Epic Games itself has reportedly mandated AI-first development for a forthcoming shooter featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters, a move that reportedly surprised some employees. Sweeney's criticism targets Valve's updated policy, which asks developers to declare if generative AI was used for asset creation, voiceovers, or translation, though it no longer requires disclosure for AI-assisted code generation.
Sweeney argued that compelling developers to make such disclosures is akin to forcing them to write a "political statement to be used against them by the hate mob they’re helping organize." He further contended that these disclosures carry an "economic cost," potentially undermining developers' businesses through "AI hate campaigns." He suggested that Valve's policy takes a significant fraction of developer revenue and livelihood, in addition to its standard 30% cut.
Critics, however, have pointed out that Steam's AI disclosures are presented in small text at the bottom of store pages, alongside other content warnings. The framing of these disclosures as a "political statement" has been called a tactic to dismiss objections as partisan rather than moral, and to allow those promoting AI in games to remain "apolitical" rather than "amoral."
The controversy arises in the context of a long-standing rivalry and competition between Epic Games Store and Steam. While Epic Games Store has implemented developer-friendly policies such as a lower revenue cut, it has been criticized for its software's clunky interface and lack of features compared to Steam. The call for a strong competitor to Steam is often made due to Valve's dominant market position and its 30% revenue cut from sales.
Adding to the criticism, it was noted that Sweeney's own company, Epic, utilizes AI technologies that may require similar disclosures. Sweeney responded to this by stating that his company's "Fab" technology operates as a business-to-business marketplace, where customers have contracts requiring knowledge of content providence, and cannot purchase assets without this information. He differentiated this from Steam's consumer-facing disclosure policy.