Nexus Mods rules out full AI ban despite community backlash

Games platform Nexus Mods has updated its policy on generative AI, making disclosure of AI usage mandatory. However, it’s ruled out outright banning AI mods, as it tries to find a solution that works for every side of its divided community.

These new policies were announced in a lengthy blog post, detailing how Nexus Mods has been monitoring the ongoing discourse surrounding generative AI in mods.

Under the new rules, those who used AI in the creation of their mod will have to explain exactly how they did this, so users can make an informed decision as to whether or not they want to download it.

Existing mod authors are being given a grace period of 60 days to comply with the new rules.  Moderation will be done manually, with Nexus encouraging users to report mods if they believe they haven’t disclosed AI content.

“We are pro-human creativity. That’s the basic premise behind all decisions below,” reads the blog post from site owner, Foledinho. The post goes on to explain that there will not be an outright ban, because the usage of generative AI in a mod’s creation can vary.

“AI-generated mods are welcome on our platform provided that they meet certain criteria regarding permissions, transparency, presentation, and conduct,” Foledinho explains.

The most significant change here is that mod authors will now have to provide a “public explanation” on how and where they have used AI.

Users will also be able to determine how much AI content they are willing to tolerate in the mods they download. There were already tags for this, with mod authors able to say if the entire mod was coded using AI, or if there are just a few AI assets on the mod page. Going forward, these tags can be used to filter out certain mods from the home page.

The modding community remains divided

Nexus acknowledges that these changes might not please everyone in the community, and true enough, the comment section shows how divisive this issue has become.

Some say they would like to see an outright ban and are frustrated over how hard it is to sort through AI thumbnails on a game’s mod page. However, others argue that generative AI and AI-assisted coding have made modding more accessible, and feel targeted by these new rules.

“As I said before, this is a complicated subject, and I don’t expect everyone to agree with every decision we’ve made, or will make in the future,” says Foledinho. “This is definitely not a conversation we’re going to have once and consider it done. AI is constantly developing, and the way it’s used in modding will also keep changing, and because of that, our policies will need to evolve alongside it.

“Of course, technology will continue to change, and so will the tools people use to make mods, but the reason Nexus Mods exists – why we exist here – hasn’t changed.

“We’re here, as we always have been, to support the people who make modding possible, to celebrate their creativity, and to give them a place to share their work with the world. For us, that’s what being pro-human creativity means, and it’s what will continue to guide the decisions we make.”