"...But this time around, now that I have a tool installed that warns me if a game or demo includes generative AI content, Steam Next Fest has become a very depressing experience, one in which more than half the games I checked out featured an AI content disclaimer...

...I sympathize with indie devs trying to create something cool and then having to dedicate even more of their limited time and resources to making a demo that might not even get seen because Steam is flooded with new games every hour. It sucks. The allure of genAI in that situation is proving harder and harder for some devs to resist.

The whole situation just makes me sad. I don’t want devs to suffer for their art, yet I am dreading a future in which it’s practically impossible to play a game, big or small, that was made only by humans. If the flood of AI warnings popping up as I browse Steam Next Fest are an indication of what’s to come, I guess I’m happy I have a massive backlog."

Should someone tell Zack?

If you don't want AI used in your game development, I suspect you will be playing the backlog until it is complete. After that I guess it'd be retro games?