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Nexus Mods makes AI disclosure mandatory for new mods, no ban

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Nexus Mods makes AI disclosure mandatory for new mods, no ban

Nexus Mods, the PC gaming mods repository, is making AI disclosure mandatory for uploads of new mods. Authors will have to declare “whether AI has been used in their work,” according to a big post about AI-generated content on the platform, written by site owner Victor “Foledinho” Folmann and reported by The Verge.

Folmann says the move answers a common complaint: “One of the most consistent concerns we’ve heard is that it’s not clearly disclosed when AI has been used to create a mod.” The site already has tags for AI-generated and AI-assisted mods, but he says there is more it can do to make that information accessible and clear. Any mod tagged as AI-assisted will also have to carry a public explanation of how and where AI was used, and AI tags will become more prominent on mod pages.

The site will not ban AI-generated mods outright. Folmann says Nexus Mods is “pro-human creativity” but “won’t introduce an outright ban on AI-generated mods.” His reasoning: AI is now used throughout the whole process of creation, from script autocompletion to generation of textures, voices and full assets, so it is hard to draw a clear line between acceptable and unacceptable use. A ban would not remove AI from modding; it would only stop people mentioning it. He would prefer that use be out in the open, clearly labelled, and regulated by rules the platform can implement.

On training and reuse, Folmann notes that Nexus Mods won’t use mods to train AI and “will not sell or license them to anyone doing so.” The site is also working on “clearer control” over how mods can be reused by others, and on stronger attribution for cases where a mod uses another mod author’s mod with the appropriate permissions.

The site is also changing its Recently Added section. Some authors upload many mods at once, which pushes other mods down the page. Folmann calls this “less of an issue related to AI, but it’s becoming much more prevalent as mod production is speeding up.” The changes include trying limits on how many mods from one author are shown at a time, and “tighter restrictions” on uploads from new accounts. The platform is also launching controls to hide AI-generated content on game pages and the homepage, with search coming “next up.”

The full AI policy is published on the site. Authors of existing mods have 60 days to update them to meet the requirements. The grace period ends on January 2nd, after which the site will begin enforcing the rules.

Key facts

  • AI disclosure becomes mandatory for newly uploaded mods: authors must declare whether AI was used in their work.
  • Mods tagged AI-assisted must include a public explanation of how and where AI was used, and AI tags become more prominent on mod pages.
  • No outright ban on AI-generated mods; site owner Victor Folmann argues a ban would only stop people mentioning AI use.
  • Existing mods get a 60-day grace period ending January 2nd, after which the site begins enforcing the rules.
  • New controls hide AI-generated content on game pages and the homepage, with search filtering “next up”; Nexus Mods says it won’t use mods to train AI or sell or license them to anyone doing so.

Why it matters

Nexus Mods is described by The Verge as the biggest modding site in PC gaming, so its handling of AI sets a visible example. It chooses labelling over prohibition. Folmann’s argument is that AI now touches everything from script autocompletion to textures, voices and full assets, so a ban would be hard to define and would discourage honest disclosure.

Who it affects

Mod authors are affected first: anyone uploading a new mod must declare AI use, and authors of AI-assisted mods must explain how and where it was used. Authors with existing mods have 60 days to bring them into line. Players who browse the site get more prominent AI tags and controls to hide AI-generated content on game pages and the homepage. Authors who upload many mods at once, and new accounts, are hit by the Recently Added changes.

How to use it

If you publish mods, declare whether AI was used when you upload, and add the public explanation if your mod is tagged AI-assisted. If you already have mods on the site, update them before the grace period ends on January 2nd. If you would rather not see AI-generated content, the new hide controls cover game pages and the homepage, with search filtering described as next up.

How solid is it

This is a first-party announcement: The Verge reports a post by site owner Victor Folmann and links the full AI policy. The 60-day period and the January 2nd end date are stated plainly. The source gives no calendar date or year for the announcement, and no year for January 2nd. It also gives no figures on how many mods are AI-generated or AI-assisted.

Risks and caveats

The source does not say how disclosures will be verified or what the enforcement penalties are. It does not say whether the mandatory declaration applies to existing mods beyond the 60-day update requirement. Several items are still in progress: the reuse controls and attribution work have no timescale, the search filter is only “next up,” and the Recently Added limits are being tried rather than fixed. The source does not say what those limits will be.

“An outright ban will not eliminate AI from the modding process but will prevent people from mentioning its use.”

— Victor “Foledinho” Folmann, site owner of Nexus Mods