The Divinity Developer Explains Its Use of Generative AI for Upcoming Divinity
The developer behind hit RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin recently teased its new project, sparking immense excitement within the player base. However, follow-up comments from the studio's co-founder have added a new dimension to the discussion, touching on the team's philosophy toward generative artificial intelligence.
AI as a Creative Assistant, Not a Substitute
In a recent clarification, Swen Vincke outlined that the company is employing AI technology for certain supporting purposes. These involve enhancing PowerPoint slides, producing initial visual ideas, and drafting draft dialogue.
Notably, Vincke stressed that the shipping assets in the game will be authored solely by actual artists. "Larian is developing every line ourselves," he stated.
We are continuously increasing our pool of concept artists and are actively assembling dedicated writer rooms.
Since this area is being specifically referenced — we currently have twenty-three artistic staff and have job openings for additional artists.
Everything we do is incremental and designed to having people spend more time on making content.
Any ML tool implemented properly is supplementary to a creative team process, never a stand-in for their craft.
Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path
The admission of AI usage at first provoked unease among a segment of the community. In reaction, Vincke issued further elaboration on social media.
"Our team utilizes AI tools to research ideas, just like we use search engines and physical media," he stated. "During the very early planning process we use it as a basic framework for composition which we then swap out with authentic concept art."
He added, "We've hired creatives for their creative vision, not for their willingness to follow what a AI generates."
Key Areas of AI Integration
Vincke had earlier detailed the studio's practical approach to AI and ML, categorizing its use into three main functions:
- Handling Monotonous Jobs: This encompasses motion capture cleaning, dialogue cleanup, and pipeline-specific tasks like adjusting assets for various species.
- Accelerated Iteration: Using technology to quickly build rough mock-ups of gameplay ideas to validate concepts ahead of full production.
- Long-Term Aspirations: Investigating how AI could in the future create new forms of reactivity, particularly in creating dynamic reactions in a vast role-playing world.
He specifically affirmed that central narrative domains — such as visual art — are are in no way departments where the team is cutting human input. In fact, Larian is expanding its staff in these very roles.
"Our studio is neither releasing a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not planning on reducing staff to replace them with artificial intelligence," Vincke concluded.
