Game developers working on Itch.io now have a new requirement to meet: they must clearly indicate if their projects make use of generative AI.
Leaf Corcoran, the platform’s founder, emphasized in a recent post that creators must be transparent about the use of this technology in their games. This includes specifying whether generative AI has been employed for elements such as graphics, sound, text, dialogue, or coding.
Once developers mark their games as utilizing generative AI, the platform assigns corresponding tags. There are specific tags available for those games that incorporate AI in areas like graphics, sound, and dialogue, along with code enhancements.
To offer some clarity, Itch.io defined generative AI on their updated quality guidelines page. According to the site, this technology involves AI systems that are capable of generating new content—be it text, images, or music—by learning from extensive datasets.
The platform is encouraging creators to accurately tag their projects if they include generative AI-produced materials. This can be easily done through the AI Disclosure section found on the project’s edit page.
Importantly, Itch.io distinguishes between generative AI and other traditional game AI applications. Algorithms that operate independently and don’t rely on large external datasets don’t count as generative AI. Examples include NPC pathfinding, enemy behavior design, procedural level generation, as well as systems like fuzzy logic and dynamic music adjustments. These traditional AI methods do not require such specific tagging.
