Around a Fifth of Steam Next Fest Demos Have a Generative AI Disclosure
Nearly 20% of games participating in Steam Next Fest are tagged for generative AI use according to SteamDB, reflecting Valve's updated disclosure requirements.
Steam Next Fest is back, and this season players may have extra reason to scrutinize the labels on demos. Eurogamer reports that on SteamDB, 1,704 out of 8,700 games listed as participants have been tagged for generative AI use. That's 19.5 percent, or just shy of a fifth of all titles in the showcase.
The high prevalence is somewhat surprising given the backlash many already-released games have faced when AI-generated materials were discovered. Many indie game leaders have been particularly vocal about when and how AI is used in development.
Valve updated its guidelines on AI use in Steam games in 2024. While the change allowed broader use of the technology, it added requirements for developers to inform players when generative AI has been applied. However, the company now allows "efficiency gains" to bypass the AI label, which may explain why one common scandal involves developers using AI-generated assets that aren't replaced before launch. This happened with breakout hit "Crimson Desert" earlier this year.
Even some titles that embraced AI from the start, like "Arc Raiders," have made changes in recent months to reduce their reliance on the technology.
