Featured Image Credit: Valve
Topics: PC, Steam, Steam Machine, Valve, Tech
Steam is said to be getting a new digital AI assistant, aptly nicknamed SteamGPT, and it has big implications for Valve’s upcoming console the Steam Machine.
For the longest time now, Steam has been hailed as the gold standard of digital gaming storefronts.
The endless deals and free games ensure something new is falling into your library at all times, but one of the real highlights is Steam Support.
Many gamers will remember that this wasn’t always the case as Steam’s support network was pretty poor for the longest time. We did see improvement eventually though and nowadays the team behind it is regularly praised for going above and beyond what’s expected from customer support agents.
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Unfortunately, that might be coming to a heartbreaking end as Valve is said to be developing a new AI tool that aims to oversee support queries going forward.
Leaker Gabe Follower shared the news on X saying: “It seems that Valve is working on a 'SteamGPT' feature that will apparently deal with Steam support issues and is somehow connected to Trust Score and CS2 anti-cheat?”
At the time of writing, the Steam Machine lacks a release date, but as far as we’re aware, it’s still due to launch later this year.
While Steam has primarily been enjoyed by PC users, the console market is about to get better acquainted with Valve’s digital storefront as all of its goodies will soon be playable in your living room, as if you were playing an Xbox or PlayStation.
However, this new AI tool puts the future of the Steam Machine in jeopardy, as gamers have been very vocal about their hatred of AI in the game industry.
Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios suffered an onslaught of hate online after admitting AI is being used in the early planning stages of Divinity, even though no in-game assets are being generated with it.
Steam users have also been quick to condemn SteamGPT before it’s even seen the light of day, and it isn’t hard to believe a boycott of some kind will follow its eventual release.
Xbox and PlayStation have both been criticised amidst rumours the next Xbox and PlayStation 6 will utilise AI in some capacity, so why wouldn’t Steam be held to the same standard?
The Steam Machine already felt like a hard-sell in the first place as its core audience isn’t exactly clear.
Is it meant for PC users who want to play their Steam library on a big TV? Or is it meant for console gamers looking to dip their toe into the PC market? No one really knows for sure who it’s for and that’s before you even get started on the price.
All of that, plus this new AI integration could play havoc with the Steam Machine’s eventual launch as gamers continue to passionately bash AI in all of its forms.