Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney opposes “Made with AI” labels on game storefronts, arguing they’re pointless as AI integration becomes ubiquitous across game creation. Store tags provide no value to players marketing finished products, unlike art exhibitions or licensing where authorship matters.[web:337][web:340]
Sweeney’s Vision for AI in Gaming
Sweeney predicts AI will enable Zelda-scale games for 10-person teams and spawn new genres. It becomes infrastructure for asset creation, QA, dialogue prototyping, and voice synthesis rather than a disclosable feature. Blanket labels reveal nothing about responsible sourcing or usage.[web:338]
Current Store Disclosure Practices
Steam requires AI usage disclosure since January 2024, distinguishing development tools from final product content. 7,818 titles (7% of library) now carry labels, up from 1% last year. Epic Games Store requires no such disclosures.[web:337][web:342]
Industry Divide on AI Transparency
- Nintendo and Obsidian avoid generative AI citing quality/legal concerns
- SAG-AFTRA demands voice likeness protections
- Developers criticize vague disclosures lacking tool specifics
- Players demand transparency against “AI slop” and unlicensed training data
Towards Granular Rights-Based Disclosure
Experts recommend focusing on licensed training data, synthetic content in shipped products, and player data usage rather than tools. Differentiate development assistance (concept art, code) from runtime generation (NPC dialogue, music). Detailed metadata enables informed choices without stigmatizing legitimate AI use.[web:342]
Implications for Platforms and Players
Sweeney’s stance highlights tensions between broad labeling and meaningful transparency. As AI adoption accelerates amid regulatory scrutiny, stores face pressure to evolve standards beyond binary tags toward rights/safety disclosures preserving consumer confidence.[web:340]
