The Divinity Developer Explains Its Application of Generative AI for New Divinity

The studio behind hit role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently teased its upcoming project, creating significant anticipation within the gaming community. However, follow-up remarks from the studio's lead designer have brought nuance to the narrative, touching on the studio's philosophy toward machine learning.

A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement

In a latest message, Swen Vincke detailed that the company is utilizing generative AI for certain ancillary functions. These involve developing pitch decks, creating rough concept art, and writing placeholder dialogue.

Importantly, Vincke made clear that the final content in the game will be crafted solely by actual creatives. "Larian is writing everything in-house," he said.

Our studio is constantly growing our pool of concept artists and are currently putting together writing teams.

Given that concept art is being explicitly mentioned — we currently have over twenty artistic staff and have job openings for further creatives.

Everything we do is additive and designed to enabling creatives to spend more time on making content.

Any ML tool applied correctly is supplementary to a developer's routine, not a replacement for their talent.

Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path

The admission of employing this technology originally generated unease among some the player base. In reaction, Vincke offered additional detail on online platforms.

"Our team utilizes AI tools to explore references, similar to we use the internet and reference books," he wrote. "In the initial brainstorming phase we use it as a simple sketch for composition which we then replace with original artwork."

He added, "We've hired artists for their inherent skill, not for their capacity to follow what a AI generates."

Key Areas of AI Integration

Vincke had in the past broken down the studio's focused approach to this technology, categorizing its use into primary pillars:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: This includes refining animations, voice editing, and Larian-specific work like retargeting animations.
• Accelerated Iteration: Using technology to rapidly prototype simple models of scenarios to validate concepts ahead of full implementation.
• Future Potential for Gameplay: Exploring how machine learning could eventually enhance emergent player agency, especially in simulating player-driven narratives in a complex RPG.

He explicitly stated that key artistic areas — like writing — are are in no way areas where the studio is cutting creative talent. On the contrary, Larian is expanding its staff in these exact positions.

"Larian is neither launching a game with any AI components, nor looking at trimming down teams to substitute them with artificial intelligence," Vincke summarized.