AI is becoming part of game development, and studios now have to weigh copyright, performer consent, privacy and disclosure rules alongside what the tools can do. A new GamesIndustry.biz explainer by Sheridans partner Anna Poulter-Jones sets out practical checks for navigating that patchwork.
Watch Desk analysis
What happened
Poulter-Jones highlights a basic trap: a studio may own an AI-generated output while its tool’s terms let the provider use inputs or outputs for further purposes, potentially including model training. Her advice is to check tool terms and review prompts and outputs for third-party intellectual property, confidential information, personal data or material that resembles a real person or brand.
The GamesIndustry.biz explainer also notes that rules vary by jurisdiction and platform. It says US copyright protection does not extend to an image that is solely AI-generated, while UK law may recognise the person who made the necessary arrangements, if the work is sufficiently original. It describes consent and compensation requirements for performers’ voices and likenesses under the 2025 SAG-AFTRA agreement, and points to disclosure obligations that may apply to realistic AI-generated content under the EU AI Act and to storefront rules such as Steam’s.
Why it matters
These are decisions studios may need to make before a tool enters a production pipeline, not tidy-up tasks for launch week. A prompt can expose confidential material; a generated face or voice can raise rights questions; and a platform’s labelling rule may add a separate obligation to whatever the law requires.
The explainer is a useful map, not a universal legal ruling. The answer can depend on a tool’s terms, the jurisdiction and the specific work. But it gives studios concrete places to start: check terms, screen inputs and outputs, set internal rules and account for publisher or partner requirements.
Our read
AI policies are becoming production paperwork, and that is less glamorous than a new rendering trick but considerably cheaper than discovering a rights problem after release. Studios should treat the rules as part of choosing and using a tool, with human review for the work that matters most. The article’s author is a games lawyer, so readers should treat its legal overview as guidance to investigate, not a substitute for advice on a particular project.
What to watch
- Whether studios make AI clearance and review processes routine across teams.
- How tool terms, storefront policies and performer agreements change.
- Whether rules for disclosure and ownership become more consistent across jurisdictions.
Discussion spark: Should studios be allowed to use AI tools on creative work by default, or should consent from performers and rights-holders be the starting rule?
Sources and evidence
- Source update (19 October 2026, 08:00 UTC)
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