UK Games Expo has introduced a new policy banning products created entirely, or in significant part, using generative AI. The new rules apply to exhibitors at the UK's biggest tabletop gaming convention and cover everything from board games and artwork to books, clothing and accessories.
The move comes after the show faced criticism over its previous lack of a clear policy surrounding generative AI. With AI becoming an increasingly controversial topic across the creative industries, UK Games Expo has now made its position much clearer. For exhibitors, the message is pretty simple: if you're bringing something to the trade floor, the creative work behind it needs to come from humans.
What does the new policy say?
According to UK Games Expo's new anti-AI content policy, exhibitors must ensure that products they display or sell have been created by humans using their own skills. The rules specifically prohibit items that have been "created or generated completely or in significant part" through AI tools and programmes. That covers a pretty wide range of products. The policy applies to artwork and written content used in tabletop games, along with associated accessories, craft items, clothing and fiction and non-fiction books. So, if an exhibitor has an AI-generated board game illustration, novel or piece of merchandise, it shouldn't be making an appearance on their stand. The organisers have also given themselves plenty of power to enforce the rules. Exhibitors can be asked to remove prohibited products, while refusing to do so could result in a stand being closed and the exhibitor being banned from taking part in future UK Games Expo events. That's a fairly serious consequence for anyone deciding to test the boundaries!
It's not an anti-computer rule
Despite the headline-grabbing ban, UK Games Expo isn't saying exhibitors need to throw their computers into the nearest bin. The policy makes an important distinction between generative AI and everyday digital tools. Spellchecking, minor editing, production assistance and accessibility tools are still permitted. That means the policy is primarily concerned with who is responsible for the creative work itself. The organisers say the "central creative process" must be carried out by humans. In other words, using technology to polish something you've created is treated differently from asking an AI system to create the work for you. It's a distinction that could become increasingly important as AI tools continue to find their way into creative industries.
The tricky bit
There's one obvious question hanging over the new rules: what exactly counts as a "significant part"? That's where things become slightly less straightforward. The policy doesn't provide a precise percentage or detailed test for determining how much AI involvement is too much. Instead, UK Games Expo says decisions can ultimately be made at the organisers' discretion. That gives the organisers room to deal with different situations, but it also means exhibitors may need to think carefully about how they use AI-assisted tools during development. For example, there's a pretty clear difference between running a finished description through a spellchecker and having an AI generate the entire description. The grey area sits somewhere between those two extremes. As AI technology develops, drawing that line could become an increasingly complicated job for conventions and publishers alike.
Following a wider tabletop trend
UK Games Expo isn't the only tabletop event or company taking a position on generative AI. Other conventions have already introduced restrictions on AI-generated content, while tabletop publishers including Kobold Press and Chaosium have also publicly addressed the use of generative AI in their creative work. The wider debate is particularly relevant to tabletop gaming because so much of the hobby relies on creative work. Illustrators, writers, designers, sculptors and other creators are responsible for giving games their distinctive identities. For a convention built around those creators, the question of how AI should be used was always likely to become more prominent. UK Games Expo's new policy gives exhibitors a clearer set of expectations, even if some of the terminology leaves room for interpretation.
What happens next?
The new rules mark a noticeable change in UK Games Expo's approach to generative AI. Rather than leaving the subject vague, the event has now formally prohibited products that rely substantially on AI-generated creative content, while allowing more limited uses of digital tools. For exhibitors heading to future UK Games Expo events, checking how their products were created could become another important part of preparing for the show. And with AI continuing to develop at a ridiculous pace, this probably won't be the last time the tabletop industry has to revisit the conversation. For now, though, UK Games Expo has made its position clear: the trade floor is for human creativity, with AI-generated products staying at home!
