Irish Games Fund bars generative AI from grant-funded commercial releases
Summary
IMIRT and Screen Ireland relaunched the Irish Games Fund for 2026 with three strands: Development, Prototype, and Release.
The Development Fund allocates €50,000 to four registered Irish studios with one year of operation, filed accounts, or a prior release.
IMIRT will not fund projects intending to commercially release with art, audio, or writing substantially generated through generative AI.
"Failure to disclose or accurately represent material use of ML or generative AI may result in the application being removed from consideration."
01
Development Fund forces human-made replacements for AI assets
Applicants must submit an Expression of Interest before the dense full application form.
Studios must declare any ML or generative AI use and explain how fund money will replace those assets.
Using generative AI before submission does not disqualify a studio.
The fund will not back projects that ship substantially AI-generated art, audio, or writing.
02
AI restriction ties public funding to unresolved IP ownership risk
Screen Ireland cites unresolved copyright, IP, ownership, and commercialisation risks as the basis.
Studios must budget human-made replacements for prototype AI assets, a cost the €50,000 grant must absorb.
Misrepresenting AI use disqualifies the application entirely, making disclosure a financial risk.
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Application window leaves two weeks to document compliance
Expressions of Interest close October 8, 2026; full applications due October 22, 2026.
IMIRT has not yet published eligibility or AI-disclosure terms for the Prototype and Release Funds.
What this means
For Publishers & Developers: Any AI assets used in prototyping must be re-costed as human-made line items before applying.
For Investors & VC: Irish-funded studios now carry a documented no-AI production commitment worth flagging in diligence.
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