"The creators of 'The Alters' express their sentiments regarding the AI debate"

"The creators of 'The Alters' express their sentiments regarding the AI debate"

In the gaming world, transparency has become a hot topic, especially regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in game development. This week, the spotlight is on 11 Bit Studios and their game, The Alters, following allegations of undisclosed AI usage in localization.

While another game, Jurassic World Evolution 3, recently removed AI-generated content following community feedback, The Alters developers now find themselves under scrutiny for their handling of the issue.

Player sentiment, particularly among international audiences, has been frosty regarding The Alters' use of AI. However, the response on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit has been somewhat divided, with many commenters writing off the AI usage as "irrelevant" and "not a big deal."

The crux of the controversy lies in the use of AI for localization, a practice that, according to Steam's policy, should be disclosed to players. The lack of transparency has drawn significant criticism from players and industry professionals.

Steam's policy requires developers to disclose any AI-generated content in games, whether pre-generated or live-generated, including in areas such as localization. The aim is to ensure transparency so consumers know what they are purchasing and to certify that the AI use complies with legal and marketing standards.

In the case of The Alters, 11 Bit Studios failed to disclose AI usage on Steam despite using AI-generated content in localization, including translations in Brazilian Portuguese and Korean. These translations contained errors and signs of having been processed by large language models (LLMs) without proper human editing.

The sloppy evidence of AI use was found in the game, such as scientific data that was copied and pasted directly from a large language model. Furthermore, parts of AI prompts were even left visible in the final game.

The developer explained that AI-generated assets were used mainly as placeholders and cited time constraints for last-minute localization changes. However, this did little to quell the criticism, with some players stating they would not purchase from the developer again due to the nondisclosure.

Handong Ryu, a Korean translator who worked on The Alters, confirmed that sections of the Korean localization showed "clear signs" of AI use without proper editing. The AI-generated content in the game's background in-game text was corrected in a patch.

Valve's Steam platform requires all developers to disclose the use of AI-generated content, but The Alters has no such disclosure on its Steam page. The consequences for undisclosed AI use include public backlash and potential loss of customer trust.

While specific punitive measures by Steam (such as removal or sanctions) have not been detailed publicly in this case, the community response has been sharply negative. The developer has committed to updating the affected translations.

In summary, under Steam's current regulations, using AI in localization without disclosure violates platform policy and can lead to significant negative repercussions, primarily centered around transparency, consumer rights, and trust. Developers are strongly encouraged to disclose AI use clearly to avoid backlash and maintain credibility.

1. The gaming industry's use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in game development, particularly in localization, has sparked debates about transparency.
2. A game called The Alters, developed by 11 Bit Studios, is currently under scrutiny for undisclosed AI usage in localization, drawing criticism from players and industry professionals.
3. Steam's policy mandates developers to disclose any AI-generated content in games, including in localization, to ensure transparency and comply with legal and marketing standards.
4. In the case of The Alters, the lack of disclosure about AI usage, especially in translations in Brazilian Portuguese and Korean, has led to evidence of sloppy AI use, such as copied and pasted data and visible AI prompts.
5. The controversy surrounding The Alters highlights the importance of disclosing AI use in gaming, as failure to do so can lead to a loss of customer trust and public backlash.
6. Developers are advised to disclose AI use clearly to maintain credibility, uphold transparency, respect consumer rights, and avoid negative repercussions on platforms like Steam.

Read also: