The Divinity Developer Details Its Use of Generative AI for New Project
The team behind popular titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently unveiled its next major project, creating a wave of excitement within the industry. However, follow-up comments from the company's co-founder have added nuance to the conversation, touching on the team's stance toward AI tools.
A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement
In a recent statement, Swen Vincke explained that the developer is using generative AI for specific supporting tasks. These encompass fleshing out pitch decks, producing rough visual ideas, and drafting temporary dialogue.
Crucially, Vincke emphasized that the shipping content in the game will be authored entirely by real writers. "Larian is creating every line in-house," he affirmed.
Larian is continuously growing our pool of concept artists and are currently putting together writing teams.
As visual development is being specifically called out — we currently have over twenty visual developers and have positions available for more talent.
Each initiative we do is incremental and designed to having people spend greater focus on actual creation.
Every AI system implemented properly is supplementary to a creative team workflow, not a replacement for their skill.
Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path
The news of using AI originally provoked unease among a segment of the fanbase. In reaction, Vincke provided additional clarification on public forums.
"We use machine learning to research ideas, in the same way we use Google and physical media," he explained. "During the very early ideation stages we use it as a basic framework for structure which we then swap out with hand-crafted concept art."
He added, "Larian brings on creatives for their unique talent, not for their willingness to replicate what a AI generates."
Key Areas of AI Integration
Vincke had in the past broken down the studio's targeted strategy to AI and ML, defining its use into key pillars:
- Handling Monotonous Jobs: This encompasses motion capture cleaning, audio processing, and technical processes like adapting animations for different models.
- Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using technology to speedily create rough models of scenarios to validate concepts before full development.
- Future Potential for Gameplay: Investigating how machine learning could eventually enhance emergent gameplay, especially in managing player-driven narratives in a vast role-playing world.
He specifically stated that key artistic domains — such as music composition — are are in no way departments where the team is cutting artistic talent. In fact, Larian is actively hiring in these precise positions.
"We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not looking at trimming down staff to substitute them with artificial intelligence," Vincke summarized.
