Larian Studios Clarifies Its Application of Machine Learning for Next Divinity
The team behind popular role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin recently teased its next major project, generating immense hype within the gaming community. However, recent remarks from the company's co-founder have brought clarity to the conversation, touching on the studio's philosophy toward AI tools.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a new statement, Larian's director detailed that the team is employing AI technology for specific supporting tasks. These include developing presentation materials, creating initial visual ideas, and writing placeholder text.
Importantly, Vincke stressed that the shipping assets in the game will be authored entirely by actual creatives. "We are writing all the content ourselves," he affirmed.
Larian is constantly expanding our team of storytellers and are actively putting together dedicated writer rooms.
As concept art is being explicitly called out — we currently have 23 visual developers and have roles to fill for further talent.
Everything we do is incremental and focused on having people spend additional energy on making content.
Any AI system applied correctly is supplementary to a artist's workflow, not a substitute for their skill.
Addressing Concerns and Clarifying the Vision
The revelation of using AI originally sparked concern among a segment of the player base. In reaction, Vincke issued further detail on social media.
"We use AI tools to explore references, in the same way we use search engines and physical media," he wrote. "In the initial brainstorming phase we use it as a basic framework for composition which we then swap out with authentic concept art."
He added, "Our studio recruits talent for their inherent skill, not for their willingness to follow what a algorithm proposes."
Key Areas of AI Integration
Vincke had in the past outlined the company's targeted method to AI and ML, grouping its use into key areas:
- Streamlining Repetitive Work: This encompasses refining animations, dialogue cleanup, and technical processes like adjusting assets for various species.
- Accelerated Iteration: Using systems to rapidly prototype basic models of scenarios to experiment with concepts prior to expensive production.
- Long-Term Aspirations: Exploring how machine learning could one day enhance new forms of player agency, particularly in managing unforeseen permutations in a complex RPG.
He explicitly affirmed that central narrative areas — such as visual art — are are in no way departments where the team is reducing creative input. On the contrary, Larian is recruiting more in these very positions.
"Our studio is not shipping a game with machine-made assets, nor planning on cutting creatives to substitute them with artificial intelligence," Vincke stated definitively.
