GTA 5 AI Story Mode Mod Shut Down by Take-Two

Summary

Take-Two Interactive has forced the removal of a popular GTA 5 mod that used generative AI, suggesting the copyright holders' dissatisfaction with AI-powered mods.
The "Sentient Streets" mod allowed players to engage in real-time conversations with NPCs using a microphone, but it was removed due to copyright claims by Take-Two.
The modder, Bloc, expressed disappointment with Take-Two's actions and the lack of communication, but acknowledged his limited resources to fight the publisher's decision.

A popular Grand Theft Auto 5 mod that employed generative AI to create interactive NPCs has just been removed after Take-Two Interactive took action against its creator. AI-powered mods are getting increasingly common, especially in open-world games such as GTA 5, Fallout 4, or Skyrim, and it seems that some copyright holders are not very happy with them.

The “Sentient Streets” mod was originally released some weeks ago by a prominent modder called Bloc, and it allowed gamers to use a microphone to ask questions to certain NPCs in real time. The system would then use text-to-speech AI to generate an audio response, simulating a real-life conversation, which made the whole project really popular. The mod even had a storyline, which would be explored by the player while they investigated having conversations with characters.

Now, the mod’s creator Bloc confirmed that Take-Two Interactive forced him to remove the content from the internet. According to Bloc’s official statement on his YouTube channel, Take-Two issued copyright claims against his work, making his videos be removed from YouTube and the mod links from Nexus Mods. His account from Netlify, where an installation guide for the mod was hosted, was also removed. “Sentient Streets” was considered by many to be one of the best mods for GTA 5, and Bloc’s videos received over 100,000 views before they were removed. The modder was pretty disheartened that the whole ordeal was pretty one-sided, with the publisher never even trying to talk to him before taking action, and he did not monetize the mod in any way.

Unfortunately, Bloc doesn’t seem to have many ways to fight the publisher’s decision. He used his official channel to say that he does not have the resources to fight Take-Two, as the dispute would need to be taken to court, and the mod is just a side project for him. He also complained that platforms like YouTube can suspend his content due to copyright claims at any moment, despite not doing the same for thousands of other GTA 5 videos out there, which he saw as unfair.

This is not the first time that the GTA publisher has taken down content related to Grand Theft Auto, such as mods or videos. Last year, videos showing prototype gameplay from the first GTA were removed, for example. With the increase in mods using generative artificial intelligence programs, it’s likely that Take-Two may remove other mods in the future.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.