I have had an influx of these game decomps on my Instagram recently and was wondering why so many were appearing out of nowhere. Shortly after that influx, the open-sourcing Adobe Suit thing happened and again its on my feed. Most of these projects use AI to make it easier to decomply these things and understand why it was used but I am a bit worried about the implications. As in, will these decomps actually be stable? Will they be maintained? Will companies start lobbying for AI laws harder now, in a way it benefits them and not us?
I personally stay away from AI due to the many issues AI brings but I am a fan of people fighting big companies but is this the way to do it?
My opinion? Decompiled software has always existed in a legal gray area, it just hasn’t been worth ruling on because of how challenging it’s been to decompile software. AI seems to have allowed sloppers to get in on the action, and given how many sloppers have zero concept of nuance, they’re being very loud about their efforts. In particular, releasing decompiled paid software seems like the easiest way to get companies on your ass. You’re probably breaking half a dozen established and existing laws, especially since some of these projects are selling their decompilation. I expect the legal system to step in and rule in favor of the companies.
To summarize, just like in every other field, AI sloppers are ruining it for everyone