What are the next free coming to the Epic Games Store? Once again Epic has a pair of titles available to anyone with an EGS account, spotlighting lesser known games you may not have heard of though they might turn out to be firm favourites.
05.09.2023 - 16:35 / gamedeveloper.com / Tim Sweeney / Generative Ai / Ai
Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney has suggested titles that feature generative AI will be allowed on the Epic Games Store.
Responding to an X user who accused Valve of implementing an "idiotic" anti-AI policy on Steam after the company apparently removed a project from its storefront when its developer released an optional ChatGPT mod for playtesters, Sweeney suggested they bring the title to the Epic Games Store because it doesn't "ban games for using new technologies."
Earlier this year, Valve told Game Developer the "legal uncertainty" regarding how some generative AI models have been trained is why it's being careful about approving titles that use the technology, and said it's up to developers to show they have the "appropriate rights to ship their game."
"We know it is a constantly evolving tech, and our goal is not to discourage the use of it on Steam," added Valve, reiterating that it still intends to "ship as many of the title we receive as we can."
The issue, for Valve, is that AI models like ChatGPT have been trained using a huge amount of data pulled from the internet, meaning the outputs they produce rely heavily on the work of others. Valve believes this could create legal issues further down the line.
Sweeney, however, said that while the copyright concerns around AI-generated assets make sense, titles that contain "a lot of human-made content plus some AI content can be protected as a whole, even if some specific assets alone aren't protected."
"The idea that art made from generative AI whose billion-image training set included a particular piece of source art is a derivative work of that source art is a massive leap beyond existing legal precedent. No court has issued any sort of ruling of that sort," continued Sweeney.
"And if it were the case, it’s hard to see how it wouldn’t lead by similar reasoning to the conclusion that every work done by a human artist is a derivative work of everything that artist has ever seen, by virtue of it contributing to the wiring of the neurons in their brain."
Sweeney said that while it's absolutely possible to abuse generative AI by overtraining or conditioning it to intentionally reproduce something that's "substantially similar" to a specific work, effectively turning it into a "copying mechanism," that usually doesn't happen.
He also said that Epic doesn't train generative AI on any customer content on its services or marketplace. "These are just my thoughts on why we shouldn’t assume all generative AI is terrible or infringing," he added.
On that point, Sweeney has previously stated that AI companies shouldn't be "scraping the web" to find and repurpose the work of creators.
During a chat with PC Gamer earlier this year, Sweeney discussed how the rise of
What are the next free coming to the Epic Games Store? Once again Epic has a pair of titles available to anyone with an EGS account, spotlighting lesser known games you may not have heard of though they might turn out to be firm favourites.
What are the next free coming to the Epic Games Store? Once again Epic has a pair of titles available to anyone with an EGS account, spotlighting lesser known games you may not have heard of though they might turn out to be firm favourites.
The Epic Games Store’s next free titles have been confirmed.
What are the next free Epic Games Store games? Since Epic launched their own rival to Steam’s digital store, they have continued to draw in PC gamers by showering them with free games every week.
What are the next free Epic Games Store games? Since Epic launched their own rival to Steam’s digital store, they have continued to draw in PC gamers by showering them with free games every week.
The Epic Games Store’s next free titles have been revealed.
What are the latest free Epic Games Store games? Every week Epic’s digital storefront features at least one free game, from AAA heavy hitters to hidden indie games. Logging in week after week and adding them to your library is a great way to build a backlog you can return to at quiet points of the year, or if you’re looking for that perfect palate cleanser. Want to know what’s available right now, and what’s coming next week? Carry on reading.
Donald Mustard – the man behind Fortnite and outgoing chief creative officer at Epic Games – is retiring after 25 years in the industry.
Donald Mustard, Epic Games’ chief creative officer and one of the driving forces behind its hugely successful Fortnite, has announced he’s leaving the company.
Epic Games’ Chief Creative Officer and one of the leading forces behind Fortnite’s monumental success is stepping down. Donald Mustard confirmed on Twitter earlier today that he’ll be “retiring” from his role later this month. It doesn’t sound like there’s any drama here, as he mentions he’s looking forward to spending time with his wife and family and remains “forever grateful to [founder] Tim Sweeney and the Epic Games family”.
Donald Mustard may not be the most well-known name in gaming, but he's definitely one of the most influential. For the past seven years he's been the chief creative officer at Epic Games and «Loremaster of Fortnite»—the big hand on the wheel of one of the biggest videogame phenomena of all time. But soon that era will come to an end, as Mustard has announced that he is retiring.
The debate around AI-generated art has largely focused on whether these programs will kill jobs and steal from artists. But a group of artists who incorporate generative AI in their work are calling on Congress to include them in discussions about AI regulations.