Take-Two Forces Shutdown of AI-Powered GTA 5 Mod

Take-Two has successfully shut down a Grand Theft Auto 5 mod that utilized generative AI, according to the mod's creator. The removal was initiated after the publisher filed a DMCA takedown notice, resulting in the Sentient Streets mod being taken down from the Nexus Mods platform and a gameplay video being removed from YouTube. The mod's developer, known as Bloc, stated that they were not contacted by Take-Two prior to the takedown and claimed that the company took a 'non-communicative approach.' The mod featured over 30 AI-generated voices for NPC conversations, but Bloc maintained that it did not use any voices from Grand Theft Auto and did not distribute any unauthorized content. Bloc also claimed that the mod did not violate Grand Theft Auto or YouTube policies. Following the takedown, Bloc's account on Netlify, where the mod's installation guide was hosted, was suspended. The creator has since removed the mod from other platforms to avoid potential legal issues. The mod was built using Inworld's Character Engine and a voice library provided by ElevenLabs. In a related development, Inworld AI recently secured $50 million in funding to launch an open-source version of its AI Character Engine. Meanwhile, Rockstar has hired roleplay modding team Cfx.re after revising its guidelines on roleplay servers and mods.