Larian Studios Explains Its Use of Generative AI for New Divinity Game
The developer behind popular RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just unveiled its upcoming project, sparking a wave of anticipation within the player base. However, follow-up comments from the company's figurehead have brought nuance to the narrative, focusing on the studio's philosophy toward machine learning.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a new statement, Swen Vincke detailed that the company is employing machine learning for particular supporting purposes. These involve enhancing pitch decks, creating early-stage artistic references, and writing placeholder text.
Importantly, Vincke emphasized that the end content in the game will be created exclusively by human artists. "We are writing everything in-house," he affirmed.
Our studio is constantly increasing our pool of concept artists and are currently putting together narrative groups.
As this area is being explicitly referenced — we presently have twenty-three visual developers and have positions available for additional talent.
Everything we do is incremental and aimed at enabling creatives to spend greater focus on making content.
Every ML tool applied correctly is supplementary to a artist's workflow, never a stand-in for their skill.
Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path
The admission of using AI initially provoked unease among some the community. In response, Vincke issued additional clarification on public forums.
"We use AI tools to gather inspiration, in the same way we use the internet and reference books," he explained. "In the conceptual ideation stages we use it as a simple sketch for layout which we then substitute with hand-crafted concept art."
He added, "Our studio recruits artists for their creative vision, not for their ability to execute what a AI generates."
Focused Uses for Machine Learning
Vincke had in the past detailed the studio's targeted method to AI and ML, categorizing its use into three main pillars:
- Handling Monotonous Jobs: This includes polishing mocap data, audio processing, and technical processes like adapting animations for different models.
- Fast-Tracked Experimentation: Using tools to quickly build simple mock-ups of gameplay ideas to test concepts ahead of full implementation.
- Long-Term Aspirations: Exploring how machine learning could one day create emergent gameplay, particularly in simulating dynamic reactions in a vast role-playing world.
He clearly affirmed that key artistic disciplines — such as visual art — are not departments where the studio is cutting artistic talent. In fact, Larian is expanding its staff in these exact fields.
"Larian is not launching a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not considering cutting creatives to swap them out with artificial intelligence," Vincke concluded.
