Nexus Mods Enforces AI Disclosure and Filters, Explains Why It Won't Ban AI Mods

Generative AI has rapidly permeated the modding community, with modders combining elements from existing games and using AI-assisted code to create innovative experiences—such as integrating the Nemesis system from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor into Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2.

In response, Nexus Mods, the largest modding platform on the internet, has implemented mandatory disclosure requirements for mods that use AI-assisted code. Additionally, users can now filter out AI-assisted mods from their search results or preferences.

"We are pro-human creativity," said Nexus Mods co-owner Victor 'Foledinho' Folmann in a blog post, before explaining why the site won't outright ban AI mods entirely.

"You may ask me why [we won’t ban AI mods], since that is not the solution some of you were looking for," he said. "The answer is simple: AI is currently used throughout the whole process of creation, from script autocompletion to generation of textures, voices, and full assets, and it is difficult to draw a clear boundary between what is acceptable and unacceptable."

Foledinho believes an outright ban would only drive modders to hide their AI usage. "It should be out in the open, clearly labelled, and regulated according to the rules that we can implement on our platform," he said.

Modders must now declare whether their mod is AI-assisted, primarily AI-generated, or includes promotional material generated by AI. They are also required to provide a "public explanation of how and where AI was used" on the mod's page.

The use of AI in game development is perhaps the hottest topic in the video game industry. While Steam has an AI disclosure policy for store pages, Valve does not limit AI-focused developer access to its platform, nor does it block "AI slop" despite complaints from fans and developers about the deluge of low-effort games that flooded the recent Steam Next Fest. Valve also places the onus on developers to ensure their game stands out amid the clutter. In particular, there's been a significant issue on Steam of developers having their games instantly cloned with AI as soon as they share any development progress.

"Rather than relying on a single mechanic that someone can easily copy, you need to keep growing your game by adding features, personality, and creativity that stem from your own perspective," Valve's Tom Giardino recently said.

Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney recently called mandatory AI disclaimers "a political act," criticizing Steam and Valve in particular. Meanwhile, indie game storefront Itch.io recently deleted what it called "terabytes of AI slop" flooding its service. "Just because you can upload 10 terabytes of poorly optimized AI generated models doesn't mean you should upload 10 terabytes of poorly optimized AI generated models," Itch said.

As for Nexus Mods, existing mods have a 60-day grace period to comply with the new rules. If they haven't updated by January 2, they potentially face account restrictions. "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," Foledinho added. "We've had to consider many sides and preferences when discussing it all; some people would prefer to prohibit AI-generated content entirely, while others embrace it and want fewer restrictions. We've considered both sides, but ultimately we need to make decisions we believe are right for Nexus Mods and our community as a whole."