The Creators of Baldur's Gate 3 Details Its Application of Generative AI for Next Divinity Game
The team behind acclaimed titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just unveiled its upcoming project, sparking significant excitement within the player base. However, follow-up statements from the company's figurehead have brought clarity to the narrative, addressing the studio's approach toward generative artificial intelligence.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a new clarification, Swen Vincke explained that the team is employing AI technology for particular ancillary functions. These include fleshing out pitch decks, generating early-stage artistic references, and creating temporary copy.
Notably, Vincke made clear that the end material in the game will be created entirely by human artists. "Larian is writing all the content in-house," he stated.
Larian is continuously increasing our roster of storytellers and are actively putting together narrative groups.
As visual development is being explicitly called out — we currently have over twenty artistic staff and have positions available for additional talent.
All our efforts we do is incremental and focused on having people spend greater focus on the creative process.
Every machine learning application implemented properly is a boost to a developer's workflow, never a stand-in for their craft.
Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent
The news of using AI at first sparked backlash among portions of the fanbase. In reaction, Vincke offered further detail on social media.
"At Larian, we employ these tools to explore references, in the same way we use the internet and reference books," he stated. "During the conceptual planning process we use it as a simple sketch for composition which we then replace with original concept art."
He added, "Larian brings on artists for their creative vision, not for their willingness to follow what a AI generates."
Key Areas of AI Integration
Vincke had previously broken down the studio's targeted strategy to this technology, defining its use into key areas:
- Automation of Tedious Tasks: Areas like refining animations, audio processing, and technical processes like retargeting animations.
- Accelerated Iteration: Using technology to quickly build simple mock-ups of scenarios to test concepts ahead of complete production.
- Long-Term Aspirations: Researching how AI could in the future create emergent player agency, especially in creating unforeseen permutations in a vast role-playing world.
He specifically noted that central narrative areas — including writing — are not fields where the team is replacing artistic involvement. Conversely, Larian is expanding its staff in these precise positions.
"Our studio is neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor planning on cutting teams to substitute them with artificial intelligence," Vincke stated definitively.
