The "Nexus Mods" platform, which specializes in hosting PC game mods, has announced an update to its policies regarding AI-generated content, making the disclosure of the use of these technologies mandatory for all new mods uploaded to the platform.
The platform's owner, Victor Vollmann, explained that the step came in response to ongoing complaints regarding the lack of transparency about the use of artificial intelligence in mod development. Although there were previous tags indicating whether a mod was AI-generated or AI-supported, the management decided to make this information more prominent and mandatory by requiring a general explanation of how and where smart tools are used in works classified as AI-supported.
Why did the platform refrain from banning AI?
The platform's management emphasized that it supports human creativity but will not impose a complete ban on AI-generated or AI-developed content. The reason for this is the overlap of AI technologies in various production stages, ranging from code autocomplete to the generation of textures, sounds, and complete assets, making it difficult to set clear boundaries.
The management believes that a total ban will not prevent the spread of AI but will instead force developers to hide its use, whereas the platform prefers regulation and transparency by providing clear labeling that ensures visibility for users according to specific rules.
Regulating Uploads and Controlling Display
Alongside the AI policy, the platform is taking steps to address the congestion of the newly added content list resulting from some authors uploading many mods at once. The new measures include testing limits on the number of mods a single author can display at one time and imposing stricter restrictions on new accounts.
The platform is also working on developing tools that allow users to hide AI-generated content from game pages and the homepage, with plans to expand this feature to include search results soon.
What does this mean for users and developers?
Current mod developers have a 60-day grace period ending on January 2nd to update their works to comply with the new policies before the actual enforcement process begins. The platform also emphasized that it will not use uploaded mods to train AI models or sell and license them to other parties, in addition to enhancing protection mechanisms and copyrights for the works of other authors.