Larian Studios Details Its Implementation of Generative AI for Next Divinity
The team behind hit RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just shown its new project, generating significant hype within the industry. However, subsequent statements from the studio's co-founder have brought clarity to the conversation, addressing the developer's philosophy toward AI tools.
A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement
In a new message, Larian's director explained that the company is using generative AI for particular ancillary tasks. These include developing PowerPoint slides, producing early-stage artistic references, and writing draft text.
Crucially, Vincke emphasized that the shipping content in the game will be created entirely by human writers. "Our team is creating all the content manually," he said.
We are continuously increasing our pool of writers and are currently assembling dedicated writer rooms.
Given that concept art is being particularly mentioned — we right now have 23 concept artists and have roles to fill for further artists.
Everything we do is incremental and focused on having people spend more time on the creative process.
Any ML tool applied correctly is a boost to a artist's process, never a stand-in for their craft.
Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent
The news of AI usage originally provoked backlash among portions of the fanbase. In reply, Vincke offered more clarification on online platforms.
"We use AI tools to explore references, similar to we use Google and reference books," he wrote. "During the initial brainstorming phase we use it as a simple sketch for structure which we then substitute with authentic concept art."
He continued, "Our studio recruits artists for their inherent skill, not for their willingness to replicate what a algorithm proposes."
Three Pillars of Practical Application
Vincke had earlier outlined the team's practical approach to this technology, categorizing its use into three main areas:
- Automation of Tedious Tasks: Areas like polishing mocap data, dialogue cleanup, and pipeline-specific tasks like adjusting assets for various species.
- Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using tools to rapidly prototype rough models of scenarios to test concepts prior to full development.
- Future Potential for Gameplay: Exploring how AI could in the future create new forms of reactivity, especially in managing dynamic reactions in a complex RPG.
He specifically stated that core creative disciplines — including music composition — are are in no way departments where the team is reducing human input. Conversely, Larian is expanding its staff in these precise fields.
"Larian is not releasing a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not planning on trimming down creatives to swap them out with AI," Vincke stated definitively.