Nexus Mods, the leading platform for modifications (‘mods’) for PC games, is making it mandatory to declare the use of artificial intelligence when publishing any new mod. Authors will have to indicate ‘if AI was used in their work,’ according to a post published by the site on AI-generated content. However, the site does not plan an outright ban on such content.
- Nexus Mods requires authors to declare any use of AI in new mods.
- Mods labeled «AI-assisted» must explain how and where AI was used.
- AI-generated mods are not banned, but AI labels become more visible.
- Existing mods must comply by January 2nd, after which the rules will be enforced.
The post is signed by Victor ‘Foledinho’ Folmann, the site’s owner. ‘One of the most consistent concerns we’ve heard is that it’s not clearly indicated when AI has been used to create a mod,’ he writes. Nexus Mods already has labels for ‘AI-generated’ and ‘AI-assisted’ mods, but the site acknowledges ‘there is much more to do’ to make this information more accessible and clearer.
Mods bearing the ‘AI-assisted’ label will also need to include ‘a public explanation of how AI was used and where it was used.’ AI-related labels will also be made more visible on mod pages.
No ban, but increased transparency
Victor Folmann states that Nexus Mods is ‘for human creativity,’ while clarifying that the site will not institute ‘an outright ban on AI-generated mods.’ He justifies this choice by the current role of AI in creation: it is involved ‘at every step of the process, from script autocompletion to texture, voice, and full asset generation,’ and it is difficult to draw a clear line between acceptable and unacceptable uses. In his view, a ban would not remove AI from the modding process but would simply prevent authors from mentioning it. ‘We would prefer the opposite: for it to be out in the open, clearly labeled, and governed by rules we can enforce on our platform,’ he adds.
The site states it will not use mods to train AI models and will not sell or license them ‘to anyone who would.’ Nexus Mods is also working on ‘clearer control’ over how mods can be reused by others, as well as strengthening attribution when a mod incorporates another author’s work, ‘with the appropriate permissions.’
A revamped ‘Recently Added’ section
Nexus Mods is also modifying the ‘Recently Added’ section to address a separate issue of authors publishing many mods at once, which pushes others down the page. ‘This isn’t an AI-related problem, but it’s becoming much more frequent as mod production speeds up,’ explains Victor Folmann. The site is considering limiting the number of mods from a single author displayed at the same time and imposing ‘stricter restrictions’ on submissions from new accounts.
The platform is also launching options to hide AI-generated content on game pages and the homepage. Hiding it in search is announced as ‘the next step.’
Authors have 60 days to update their existing mods to comply with the new requirements. This deadline expires on January 2nd, after which the site will begin enforcing the rules. Nexus Mods’ full AI policy is detailed in the post published by the site.
