BackerKit bans AI-generated content from its platform, including art for board games
BackerKit will not allow AI-generated content on its platform, which includes many high-profile board game and tabletop role-playing game projects. The announcement, made formal in a blog post on Monday, stands in stark contrast to its biggest rival, crowdfunding giant Kickstarter, which has no such restrictions. The announcement comes less than one month after AI-generated art in a Terraforming Mars board game expansion raised alarms among creators and backers alike. BackerKit’s policy goes into effect on Oct. 4.
“This policy emphasizes that projects on BackerKit cannot include content solely generated by AI tools,” the company said in its announcement. “All content and assets must first be created by humans.”
The San Francisco-based startup said its stance was informed by more than 10 years working with creatives on high-profile consumer-focused projects.
“At BackerKit, we’re driven to ensure creators are fairly rewarded for their hard work and creativity,” said BackerKit. “Due to concerns about AI tools using content without proper compensation or permission, we’ll continue to limit their use on our platform until there is a system that can guarantee fairness in sourcing, permission, and compensation.”
These AI tools, also known as generative AI, are controversial because they are fueled by the work of real artists almost entirely without their consent. Generative AI literally cannot function without a large body of reference material, which is often gleaned from publicly available sources like webpages, books, and individual works of art. But the vast majority of AI developers have demonstrated varying levels of regard for ethical norms. Some hold novel stances with regard to copyright law, while others simply use
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