Itch.io says it has removed “a couple of terabytes” of AI-generated content as it responds to a sharp increase in game uploads. The indie storefront reported that the number of new game pages created each day roughly doubled between August 3 and October 30, rising from just over 3,000 to more than 6,000. Downloads and purchases did not show a similar increase, according to the company.
The issue came into focus after Itch.io shared a graph of daily page creation. Asked on BlueSky what might explain the rise, the company replied, “Take a guess.” It later clarified that first-time uploaders, rather than bulk uploaders, were driving the increase.
Itch.io has taken action against mass uploads of near-identical AI-generated games, which violate its content guidelines. The company said it removed such titles from search results, but described bulk uploading as only a limited part of the broader trend.
The storefront is also extending its AI disclosure requirements to tabletop games, books, comics and soundtracks. Uploaders in those categories must disclose whether they used AI tools and how, even if they later edited the results. Similar disclosure rules already applied elsewhere on the platform.
Itch.io is increasing moderation and plans to let users filter search results to exclude games with generative AI disclosures. Some users have called for a complete ban on AI content, but the company has not announced one. The article notes that enforcing such a policy could carry substantial moderation costs, while some programmers consider AI use in coding acceptable even when they object to AI-generated artwork.
Sources: Kotaku.