Larian Studios Details Its Implementation of AI Tools for New Divinity

The studio behind acclaimed role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently shown its upcoming project, sparking significant hype within the gaming community. However, follow-up remarks from the studio's co-founder have brought nuance to the conversation, focusing on the team's philosophy toward AI tools.

AI as a Creative Assistant, Not a Substitute

In a recent clarification, the studio's founder outlined that the developer is employing AI technology for certain ancillary purposes. These encompass enhancing pitch decks, creating early-stage visual ideas, and creating draft dialogue.

Crucially, Vincke made clear that the shipping content in the game will be created exclusively by real artists. "Our team is creating all the content ourselves," he said.

Our studio is constantly expanding our roster of writers and are busily assembling dedicated writer rooms.

As visual development is being specifically referenced — we right now have twenty-three artistic staff and have roles to fill for additional creatives.

All our efforts we do is additive and aimed at having people spend greater focus on the creative process.

Any machine learning application used well is a boost to a creative team workflow, never a stand-in for their craft.

Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path

The admission of employing this technology at first provoked concern among a segment of the community. In response, Vincke issued additional detail on public forums.

"Our team utilizes machine learning to explore references, just like we use search engines and art books," he stated. "During the initial brainstorming phase we use it as a basic framework for layout which we then replace with hand-crafted concept art."

He noted, "Our studio recruits creatives for their creative vision, not for their capacity to replicate what a machine suggests."

Three Pillars of Practical Application

Vincke had in the past detailed the team's targeted method to machine learning, grouping its use into primary pillars:

• Streamlining Repetitive Work: This encompasses motion capture cleaning, dialogue cleanup, and pipeline-specific tasks like adapting animations for different models.
• Fast-Tracked Experimentation: Using tools to quickly build simple models of mechanics to test concepts prior to expensive implementation.
• Future Potential for Gameplay: Exploring how machine learning could eventually facilitate innovative reactivity, particularly in creating dynamic reactions in a complex RPG.

He clearly stated that central narrative areas — such as visual art — are are in no way fields where the company is reducing creative input. On the contrary, Larian is actively hiring in these exact fields.

"Our studio is not launching a game with machine-made assets, and we are certainly not considering cutting creatives to substitute them with artificial intelligence," Vincke stated definitively.