Larian Studios Clarifies Its Implementation of Generative AI for Next Divinity

The team behind acclaimed role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just teased its next major project, generating significant excitement within the industry. However, subsequent comments from the studio's lead designer have brought nuance to the discussion, focusing on the developer's philosophy toward AI tools.

A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement

In a recent clarification, Swen Vincke outlined that the developer is employing AI technology for particular ancillary functions. These involve fleshing out pitch decks, producing early-stage artistic references, and writing temporary dialogue.

Importantly, Vincke made clear that the shipping material in the game will be created exclusively by actual artists. "We are writing every line manually," he affirmed.

Our studio is actively growing our roster of storytellers and are currently assembling dedicated writer rooms.

Given that this area is being explicitly called out — we right now have over twenty artistic staff and have positions available for more artists.

All our efforts we do is supplementary and designed to enabling creatives to spend greater focus on the creative process.

Any machine learning application applied correctly is additive to a creative team process, never a stand-in for their craft.

Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path

The news of AI usage at first sparked unease among a segment of the fanbase. In reply, Vincke issued more detail on social media.

"Our team utilizes these tools to gather inspiration, in the same way we use the internet and reference books," he wrote. "In the very early ideation stages we use it as a simple sketch for composition which we then substitute with original illustrations."

He noted, "Larian brings on talent for their creative vision, not for their willingness to follow what a AI generates."

Three Pillars of Practical Application

Vincke had earlier detailed the studio's practical approach to this technology, defining its use into key pillars:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: This includes refining animations, dialogue cleanup, and pipeline-specific tasks like adjusting assets for various species.
• Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using systems to speedily create basic models of mechanics to test concepts before expensive development.
• Future Potential for Gameplay: Researching how AI could eventually enhance innovative player agency, especially in managing dynamic reactions in a vast role-playing world.

He explicitly noted that core creative domains — including visual art — are are absolutely not departments where the company is reducing artistic involvement. Conversely, Larian is actively hiring in these exact positions.

"Our studio is not releasing a game with AI-generated content, nor considering reducing creatives to swap them out with AI," Vincke concluded.