Epic Games clarifies position on AI thumbnails as detection becomes more difficult

Epic Games has confirmed it won't enforce rules against AI-generated thumbnails for Fortnite mini-games.

In an interview with Mustard Plays as transcribed by Eurogamer, Epic acknowledged that as AI tools improve, it will become too hard to distinguish from human art.

Epic emphasised that its main concern is rule compliance for thumbnails, not whether they’re AI-generated. 

The company also stated it won't use AI for its own Fortnite modes, with EVP Sax Persson noting that human artists still deliver the best results.

“From our perspective, for moderation, thumbnails - like, we don't really care what tool you use to make your thumbnails," said product management director Dan Walsh. “All we care about is whether or not it's compliant with our rules.

"I think to some degree AI is going to become more and more difficult to detect. It's not going to stand out as a unique thing, it's just going to be another tool that people are using to create things.

"So trying to look for that specifically is going to become increasingly difficult to the point where it's probably going to become unenforceable. We're really just focused on - does this asset comply with our rules, yes or no?', not 'what tool did you use to make this asset'?"

AI compliance

Persson further stated that the Fortnite company welcomes new technology like AI, but embraces them with an ethical focusensuring proper licensing and ownership of generated content. 

“We rely on what we provide to people directly to be the best tools that we can humanly do, but the ethical guidelines are proper ownership," he said. 

Elsewhere, a U.S. judge has ruled that Apple must immediately allow developers to link to external payment systems without taking royalties, following a finding that Apple was in "wilful violation" of a 2021 injunction from the Epic Games case. 

The court criticised Apple’s 30% commission as anti-competitive and barred the company from restricting developers from directing users to alternative purchase options.