Take-Two removes GTA V mod featuring AI dialogue
A week after Rockstar approved mods from Grand Theft Auto Online's roleplaying community, Take-Two has removed a mod for Grand Theft Auto V that featured AI-generated dialogue.
Created by modder Bloc, the "Sentient Streets" mod featured over 30 AI characters that players could have open-ended conversations with. Players could use their microphones to ask these NPCs a question, and the NPC would then generate an answer and reply.
According to Bloc, Take-Two recently issued a DMCA takedown on "Sentient Streets" that saw it removed from the popular Nexus Mods website. His YouTube video that explained the mod was similarly removed.
"Sentient Streets" was intended as a story mod for GTA V players, and was notably both free and entirely open source. Considering Rockstar's newly relaxed stance on roleplay and mods focused on that slice of the GTA community, removing a mod like this does conflict with the developer's most recent messaging.
"The reason for this takedown shown by Take-Two Interactive to YouTube was because I used their software (GTA V) in the video," he explained. "No one from Take-Two Interactive contacted and asked me anything prior to this, they just took down the video out of nowhere."
Questions about AI and its relationship to mods were raised earlier in the summer. Voice actors Victoria Atkin and Tim Friedlander spoke to Game Developer about modders using AI tools to synthesize actors' voices into games they weren't originally in.
Because actors don't technically own the performances or characters they play, something they both noted, the onus technically falls on developers on whether AI in mods counts as fair use. Friedlander said he has "great respect" for modders, but there remains a murky territory for
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