The most concerning part is that some of these AI-generated reviews date back to mid-2023, meaning Valve had plenty of time and ample opportunity to remove them and implement precautionary measures to automatically detect and delete such content, thereby protecting the credibility of Steam reviews, but simply chose not to.
As troubling as it may be, it is, unfortunately, hardly surprising. At this point, it’s clear which side Valve has taken in the AI vs anti-AI conflict, with the studio not being particularly strict about enforcing its own rules on AI disclosure and Gabe Newell now openly touting AI as the next major technological leap, comparable to computers or the internet.
In light of that, it’s hard to imagine anything will be done about artificial reviews, and the fall of Steam Reviews as a reliable source may well be inevitable, with only time revealing how Valve’s indifferent approach to AI – along with that other, arguably much more important Steam-related controversy – will ultimately impact the company’s goodwill. Keep in mind, just a decade ago, Ubisoft was universally beloved.
