Developers are now being asked to step up their transparency game on Itch.io by indicating whether generative AI is part of their projects. Leaf Corcoran, the platform’s founder, announced this new requirement in a recent post. Game creators need to clearly disclose if they’ve utilized generative AI, detailing its specific application—whether in graphics, sound, text and dialogue, or even coding.
Games identified as containing generative AI will now carry a distinctive tag, with further classification possible based on the specific elements like graphics or sound that employ the technology.
Itch.io has expanded on this topic in its updated quality guidelines. Essentially, “Generative AI” is an umbrella term for AI systems designed to generate fresh content, be it text, images, or music, by drawing upon expansive datasets. Famous examples include large language models like ChatGPT and image generators such as DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion, all of which create new material from their learned input.
The platform emphasizes the importance of accurate tagging. Developers are urged to use the AI Disclosure section on their project’s edit page to reflect any generative AI content. However, they clarify that projects employing traditional game algorithms that don’t rely on extensive datasets—like NPC pathfinding or dynamic music adjustments—don’t fall under this tagging requirement. So, while procedural level generation and similar technologies remain outside this generative AI category, transparency remains key where applicable.
