Nexus Mods will require authors to say if AI helped make a mod

Nexus Mods, which The Verge calls the biggest modding site in PC gaming, will now require authors to declare whether AI was used in their work when they upload a new mod. The site is not banning AI-made mods. It wants them clearly labeled and out in the open.

What changed

A mod is a fan-made add-on that changes or adds to a game. Nexus Mods already had tags for AI-generated and AI-assisted mods. Now the disclosure is mandatory for new uploads, and the AI tags will be more prominent on mod pages. Any mod tagged AI-assisted must also include a public explanation of how and where AI was used.

Why there is no ban

Site owner Victor "Foledinho" Folmann says AI is used throughout the creation process, from script autocompletion to textures, voices and full assets. That makes it hard to draw a clear line between acceptable and unacceptable use.

He argues a ban would not remove AI from modding. It would only stop people from mentioning it. The site prefers that AI use be clearly labeled and governed by rules it can enforce.

What players can control

The site is launching controls to hide AI-generated content on game pages and on the homepage. Search is "next up." Other changes in the same announcement:

• Nexus Mods says it will not use mods to train AI, or sell or license them to anyone who does.
• It is working on clearer control over how mods can be reused, and better credit when one mod builds on another.
• The Recently Added section will try limits on how many mods from one author appear at a time.
• New accounts will face tighter upload restrictions.

Folmann says the Recently Added problem is less about AI. Authors uploading many mods at once push other mods down the page, and it is becoming more common as mod production speeds up.

What happens next

Authors have 60 days to update their existing mods to meet the new requirements. The grace period ends January 2nd, and the site will begin enforcing the rules after that. The report does not say what penalties authors could face, or how the site will check that a declaration is honest.