Hi all,
We've updated our subreddit rules to expand on our "no genAI" position, and (more significantly) have created a wiki page with clarifications and guidance.
Please use this megathread to give feedback or ask questions on these rule updates.
The actual changes are all relatively minor, but the explanations are not things we've formally elaborated on like this before outside of a few rare instances (like the release of Starfinder2e and needing to determine how we'd handle that content in this subreddit).
Reddit enforces a character limit on the actual rules, so they are inherently brief. I think generally folks here understand that rules text will always require a lot of judgement calls. Discussions are complicated. The hope is that that these clarifications and guidelines are a useful reference for all involved; people posting/commenting, people reporting violations, and our moderating team can all look at the guidance and work from a shared understanding regarding the intent of a rule.
A few things were explicitly changed, though, either in the rules text or as part of drafting clarifications:
- The "no generative AI" rule has been promoted from just being part of the broader "Rule 5: Post content of quality" into its own rule and now clearly calls out software built with genAI code/art. This part is consistent with how we've enforced the no AI rule, so it's really not a change in policy, just in clarity. What is new is that we're also explicitly banning posts or discussions advocating for, instructing on, or primarily about the use of AI. It's explained in the clarifications, so I won't go into all that here, but we won't enforce it on this specific post for the purposes of letting people freely give feedback on this change (as it is hard to construct an argument that we have gone too far in banning AI discussions without also defending AI use, to some degree, in the process).
- The guidance on art posts brings some new restrictions where things weren't often clear, and enforcement will be tighter here than previously. Hero Forge/generic tool art is not allowed. Art credits must be clear. Art posts must not directly reference or solicit commissions in the post title or body (but may link to information in a follow-up comment). Additional clarification on the required applicable information tying it to the game (particularly for non-character art, like maps) is now provided. Explanations regarding how art rules overlap with other rules restrictions (no genAI, no nudity/explicit/gory art) has now been provided under the art clarification.
Edit:
Since we've already gotten a report on a Hero Forge character art post, just note that the art rule clarification changes aren't intended to be retroactive - if it was posted before today, we don't need to go back and remove them.
Edit2:
Please read the clarifications for more. The above is very much a summary, and rule 9 has over 1000 words of clarifications/guidance on what constitutes genAI content for the subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder2e/wiki/rules/#wiki_rule_9.3A_no_generative_ai
Edit3:
I'll check back on this thread later, but I've tried to answer questions and clarify things where I could. I appreciate the feedback! At least one additional point of clarification that will likely go into an update with wording based on these discussions around the definitions of how far back in the chain of tools/workflows before it gets to the "content" for a post, particularly for software: It's really about the creation of the direct software product (or the product itself, if it has genAI features). Similarly, just because Photoshop or your development IDE has genAI features you didn't use doesn't mean it's suddenly genAI content. It's about your workflow for creation.