Content & Production Statement

VISCERIUM is a human-created fictional universe.

We use modern software, automation and AI-assisted tools where they are useful, but maintain a clear distinction between tools which support our work and the people who create VISCERIUM.

This policy defines that boundary.

Human-made creative work

Published VISCERIUM creative content is human-made.

Its lore, fiction, characters, names, cultures, places, creatures, histories, maps, visual designs, artwork and other creative canon are conceived, written, edited, designed and otherwise crafted by people.

AI-generated creative text, imagery, artwork or other generated creative material is not present in published VISCERIUM creative content.

Human authorship means more than approving or lightly editing a generated result. The finished creative work itself is made by people.

Supporting human creators

VISCERIUM explicitly supports human creative work.

Where finished creative material is required, we create it ourselves or work with human writers, artists, designers and other creators. Generative AI is not used as a substitute for commissioned VISCERIUM artwork, fiction or other published creative material. Human creative labour has value. Where appropriate, it should be credited, licensed and compensated accordingly.

AI-assisted creative support

AI-assisted tools may be used around the creative process for research, critique, analysis, organisation, comparison, contradiction-finding and testing ideas.

Their output holds no authorship or canon authority.

A suggestion may inform a person’s thinking; it does not become VISCERIUM simply because it was generated. A tool may help us think about VISCERIUM. It does not make VISCERIUM for us.

Technical use

AI-assisted tools may be used in the technical development, operation, security and maintenance of VISCERIUM and the VISCERIUM Codex. This includes areas such as software development, debugging, testing, security analysis, accessibility, performance, automation, documentation and internal tooling.

AI-assisted technical output may therefore form part of VISCERIUM’s software and infrastructure. Such work remains subject to human inspection, testing and acceptance.

Responsible AI use

AI use within VISCERIUM is a conscious choice, not a default.

We consider whether its use is appropriate for the task and remain mindful of concerns including:

• creator rights, consent and compensation;
• copyright and training-data provenance;
• privacy and security;
• accuracy, bias and over-reliance;
• transparency;
• environmental and computational cost; and
• dependency on opaque or closed systems.

We recognise the legitimate concerns of creators whose work may have been used in generative systems without meaningful consent, attribution or compensation.

We also recognise AI-assisted systems as part of the continuing development of computer tooling.

These positions are not contradictory. Where practical, we favour transparency, inspectability, clear provenance, open standards and meaningful user control.

The availability of automation does not create an obligation to use it.

Accountability

AI systems cannot establish VISCERIUM canon, approve their own work, exercise authority on behalf of VISCERIUM or assume responsibility for decisions.

Accountability remains with people.

For technical work, this means human review and responsibility.
For creative work, the standard is stronger: the finished creative work remains human-authored.

What “human-made” means

When VISCERIUM describes its creative work as human-made, we mean that literally.

• The words were written by people.
• The names were chosen by people.
• The world was created by people.
• The artwork was made by people.
• The canon was decided by people.

AI-generated creative content is not included in published VISCERIUM work carrying that description.

This does not mean that every piece of software or technical infrastructure used to produce and publish VISCERIUM was created without AI assistance.

The distinction is deliberate: AI may assist the tools around VISCERIUM. People create VISCERIUM.

Human Made mark

Where VISCERIUM displays the third-party Human Made mark, it identifies the human-made creative material covered by this policy.

AI-assisted technical development elsewhere in the production process is disclosed openly here.

If our production practices change such that the mark no longer truthfully describes the creative work it accompanies, we will stop using it.

For the reasoning, sources and wider philosophy behind this policy, see Creator Commentary — Human Authorship, AI & the Tools We Use.