So you've been falsely accused of using generative AI—now what?

Look around and you'll see a video game industry locked in fight-or-flight mode. Eyes darting. Ears pricked. Ready to pounce on the latest case of undisclosed generative AI usage. There's ample reason for that. 

Self-submitted disclosures are currently the most prevalent method of determining which games use the divisive technology. That means major platforms like Steam and itch.io, which allow users to filter out titles from devs who admit to using the tech, are relying on the honesty of people who might feel they're better off keeping quiet. Especially if they've used generative AI tools to assist with coding, something that would be almost impossible to detect without an ungodly level of transparency or access.

By all but stating that policing generative AI is fanciful— Nexus Mods openly acknowledged that people could simply lie to circumvent its own disclosure policy—platforms are putting the onus on users to become judge, jury, and executioner. Sometimes, the evidence is abundant. Images featuring that signature sloppy composition. Character artwork with more fingers than you might expect. Unfinished placeholder imagery. AI responses left in text exchanges. 

When the smoking gun is still ringing, guilt becomes a forgone conclusion. But what happens when the feel-good vigilantism misses the mark? When the only burden of a proof is a gut feeling or vibe check, is it possible to prove your innocence? Based on conversations we had with multiple developers who've been falsely accused of using generative AI, the answer is a tenuous 'yes, but—' that largely depends on your willingness to share receipts and engage in good faith with those who have already hoisted you into their own personal gulag.

Take the case of (the somewhat ironically named) Schrodinger's Cat Burgler. Developer Abandoned Sheep was accused of using generative AI tech to produce key artwork that was actually hand-drawn. The accusations began pouring in on social media in 2024, two years after the image in question had been unveiled—but around the same time that generative AI tech started to really gain traction. 

"When the original key art was made back in 2022 there was no real indication that generative AI would be anything to worry about. When genAI was getting 'better' (for want of a better word) around 2024 there was a distinct worry that witch-hunts would start targeting the innocent," explains Abandoned Sheep director Martin Binfield, speaking to Vertical Slice. 

"Initially, we would reply to the individual comments and point out that the art work was human-created years prior, and that we as a studio had never (and will never) use generative AI. Surprisingly, every commenter replied politely, thanking us for the clarification. It's clear that these accusations were coming from a place of protection of human endeavour—I'd rather people didn't fire off accusations thoughtlessly but at least their hearts are in the right place."