AI is mass decompiling games. That's both awesome and scary

AI can now automatically decompile compiled games into editable source code, producing functional but often messy ports in days instead of the years manual reverse-engineering used to take. Where community projects like OpenGOAL and Ship of Harkinian once required massive effort, new AI workflows have generated hundreds of ports and compatibility layers that run natively at modern resolutions and frame rates and accept mods. Notable examples include IsaacRecomp, which rebuilt the 2011 Flash Binding of Isaac into C++ and runs at 1440p/165FPS; Colin McRae Rally 2.0 and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance with improved aspect ratios and zooming; a Metroid Prime port; Ratchet & Clank progress; Black Ops Zombies running in a browser; and early AnyPS5 work that has already produced PC-playable PS5 ports like Animal Well. These projects enable preservation, modernization, and previously impractical modding.

Alongside the consumer wins, this capability creates serious legal and security headaches. Decompilation at scale makes proprietary software easy to copy, repackage, or open-source without clear evidence of theft, threatening licensing enforcement and competitive secrecy and likely provoking stronger DRM and other defensive measures. The write-up stresses that while AI-driven decompilation is an exciting preservation and usability win, it also risks accelerating software theft, exposing critical systems, and forcing industry-wide changes - an ambivalent stance from someone who generally dislikes AI but celebrates this concrete benefit.