It seems like artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere, especially in the tech industry. It is becoming increasingly difficult for users to distinguish what was actually created by humans and what is “AI slop.” Popular gaming distribution platform Steam introduced a ‘Made with AI’ label to inform players which games are made using AI. However, the CEO of Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, believes such a tag is meaningless.

What did Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney say?

On X, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney responded to a post urging Steam to remove the AI ​​label. He believed that such a tag was only suitable for things like art or licensing, where you need to know who owns the content. Sweeney wrote, “Agreed. AI tags for authorship disclosure are relevant to art exhibitions and digital content licensing markets where buyers need to understand the rights situation.”

Furthermore, the Epic Games chief stressed that there is no need to label games for using AI. “It doesn’t make sense for game stores, where AI will be involved in almost all future production,” Sweeney said.

Tim Sweeney’s comments come as Epic Games faces a lawsuit over using an AI-generated voice for the character Darth Vader in Fortnite.

What is the Made with AI label on Steam?

Steam requires visible disclosures about AI-generated content in games. For example, the store pages of titles like Ark Raiders include a statement: “During the development process, we may use procedural and AI-based tools to assist in content creation. In all such cases, the final product reflects the creativity and expression of our own development team.”

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney accuses Steam of hurting developers

Tim Sweeney’s comments sparked controversy online. The Epic Games chief continued to defend himself. One user claimed that Epic Games could double the use of AI with Unreal Engine, and thus wanted to remove the AI ​​label. However, Sweeney stressed that this is not accurate, and he was more concerned about smaller developers being affected.

Tim Sweeney wrote, “Not true. I’d hate to see Valve seize more opportunities from smaller developers by featuring new categories, canceling campaigns, and review bombing. Steam is only used to facilitate downloads.” According to the CEO of Epic Games, Steam was making it more difficult for small developers to succeed. “Then they blocked payments, then price competition, then crypto, now AI,” he added.