5. Reference Group for Responsible AI in Games
Building Responsible AI in Games requires shared knowledge, diverse voices, and ongoing dialogue.
5.1 Proposal
A voluntary, collaborative coalition supporting Responsible AI practice in the games industry
Expressions of interest are now welcome from developers, creators, players, researchers, and community representatives interested in contributing to the Reference Group.
Responsible AI in Games
15th May 2026
To date, most uses of AI in games have been studio-facing - focused on development efficiency, pipeline optimization, and systemic behaviors with limited direct impact on players (Human Impact Level 3).
As the industry moves increasingly toward experiences that are relational, adaptive, and emotionally responsive (Human Impact Levels 4 and 5), the stakes change. These systems introduce new power dynamics, trust considerations, and forms of player vulnerability that cannot be addressed through technical safeguards alone.
At present, there is no shared, cross-disciplinary reference point for the industry to help navigate these risks. In the absence of guidance, individuals or teams are left to interpret responsible practice in isolation - increasing the likelihood of inconsistent approaches and avoidable breaches of player trust that could affect the credibility of the technology as a whole.
Responsible AI in Games is a practice, not a destination.
It requires shared responsibility, ongoing scrutiny,
and a willingness to adapt as technology and player expectations evolve.
Vinebright Foundry is proposing the formation of an international Reference Group for Responsible AI in Games to support shared discussion and emerging practice as AI-supported systems become more common in player-facing experiences.
Vinebright convenes this work not as an authority on games, but as an enthusiastic participant - bringing experience from trust-sensitive systems, and a genuine desire to learn in public as player-facing AI evolves.
5.2 Role and Scope
The following role and scope of the Reference Group should be considered a proposal, not the confirmed purview. This will only be finalized by the Reference Group itself once convened.
Reference Group Responsibilities:
- Maintaining a cross-industry representative body that brings informed perspectives from studios, creators, researchers, and players, grounded in members’ direct experience and peer engagement.
- Defining shared language, reference points, and proportionate best-practice guidance; and offering a range of relevant human judgements, plural perspectives, and impartial recommendations
- Protecting the ecosystem integrity by promoting the importance of player trust, protecting creator and performer rights, and reduce ethical drift as AI-enabled systems evolve over time
- Reviewing and discussing new technical capabilities and emerging risks, focusing on those with potential for high impact on players - surfacing blind spots before they become harm
Initial Phase Focus Areas:
- Establishing its own foundations: Defining the Reference Group’s charter, remit, structure, operating norms, and principles of independence to ensure legitimacy, clarity of purpose, and effective collaboration from the outset
- Interrogating and refining the Five + Five Framework: Reviewing the framework as proposed, testing assumptions, validating Human Impact Levels, and evolving language, thresholds, and scope over time to address gaps and emerging risks
- Translating the framework into shared industry reference points: Developing reference material that supports shared terminology and comparison across projects - aligned with open, voluntary standards models (e.g. WCAG, Creative Commons licenses, ISO standards)
- Evolving the Reference Group itself over time: Reflecting on membership composition, succession, legitimacy, and long-term governance to ensure the Reference Group remains independent, representative, and fit for purpose as the technology and industry evolve
5.3 Out of Scope
- The Reference Group’s role is intended to be advisory and deliberative only.
- It would have no industry remit or mandate to operate as a regulator or other prescriptive authority, industry decision-maker, oversight or enforcement committee, or marketing body
- It is not a substitute for operational decision-making, legal obligations, or player-facing accountability mechanisms
- The Reference Group would not replace or absolve the responsibilities of studios, creators, publishers, or platform holders. Accountability for ethical design, player safety, creator rights, and regulatory compliance remains with those building and operating AI-enabled systems
- The Reference Group would not approve, certify, authorize, endorse, or “sign off” on products, features, releases, or uses of AI; and any guidance is purely voluntary.
5.4 Legitimacy and Positioning
- A permanently self-appointed or studio-bound body would inevitably lose credibility over time.
- Long-term legitimacy is a design objective that depends on plural perspectives, visible challenge and disagreement, and shared stewardship rather than centralized control.
- The Reference Group is intended to remain in active dialogue with existing work across ethics and governance research, player safety and wellbeing, and creator and performer rights; and does not replace, compete with, or supersede existing efforts.
- Vinebright is proposing to convene this Reference Group not as an authority on Responsible AI in Games, but as a studio directly building and operating player-facing living world systems.
- We are therefore directly exposed to the trust, safety, and governance challenges described in this paper.
- Convening this forum is part of the responsibility that we believe a studio inherits when it chooses to work at higher human-impact levels.
5.5 Membership & Initial Structure
As a practical starting point, Vinebright will define the initial charter and operating model for the Reference Group, with the intent that these foundations are reviewed, revised, and ultimately owned by the Reference Group itself
Membership & Composition:
- Membership is proposed to include perspectives from:
- Game studios and developers (design, narrative, technical)
- Creators and performers (e.g. voice, art, authored content)
- Players and community representatives
- Academic or research experts (e.g. ethics, governance, affective computing)
- Adjacent disciplines where relevant (e.g. psychology, digital safety)
- Players and community representatives, included as participants in the discussion rather than treated as an external audience
- The Reference Group is intended to remain small and deliberative, to support meaningful discussion and considered recommendations
- Members would contribute perspective and lived experience, not representative authority; the Reference Group is designed to surface informed insight, not to act as a proxy for entire constituencies
Chairing & Independence:
- The Reference Group is intended to be independently chaired and not a representation of any single stakeholder, to prevent conflicts of interest and reinforce its advisory independence
- Chair selection, review, and succession would be determined by the Reference Group itself once convened
- The role of Chair may be held by any member, where the individual can facilitate cross-disciplinary discussion and uphold the Reference Group’s principles
- The founder of Vinebright will participate as a founding member and domain representative in the initial phase of the Group, but will not serve as Chair or hold any special decision-making role.
- The Group is expected to challenge Vinebright's initial proposal, and Vinebright commits to engaging with its guidance in good faith.
5.6 Evolution, Shared Stewardship, and Succession
- Vinebright’s role is limited to initiating the Reference Group; responsibility for its direction and development is intended to transition away over time.
- The Reference Group is expected to define its own future approaches to membership refresh and succession, nomination or rotation mechanisms, and long-term independence and legitimacy safeguards.
- The Reference Group is designed to become a living institution, rather than a studio-led or studio-bound committee.
The role of the inaugural Reference Group is not to govern indefinitely,
but to establish the foundations for independent, shared stewardship over time.
5.7 Expressions of Interest
Expressions of Interest from individuals who may wish to contribute to the Reference Group are now being welcomed.
