Videogame Companies Add No-AI Clauses to Contracts as AI Labels Cut Reviews by 53%
Updated
Updated · PC Gamer · Aug 13
Videogame Companies Add No-AI Clauses to Contracts as AI Labels Cut Reviews by 53%
1 articles · Updated · PC Gamer · Aug 13
Summary
No-AI clauses have become boilerplate in videogame contracts over the past year, with even smaller publishers adding them to block generative AI use in assets, marketing, porting and QA.
Haley MacLean, an IP lawyer at Voyer Law, said legal liability is driving the shift as companies fear copyright claims and weak ownership rights over AI-generated material.
U.S. and Canadian case law still ties ownership to human-made work, MacLean said, meaning studios that rely on unmodified AI assets may struggle to prove those assets are theirs.
A June analysis found AI disclosures can cut a game's reviews by 53% and make feedback more negative, adding commercial pressure to the legal risks.
MacLean said that mix of legal uncertainty, consumer backlash and cost-cutting could trigger more lawsuits in coming years as studios try to use AI faster and cheaper.