The Divinity Developer Details Its Use of AI Tools for Next Divinity Game
The studio behind hit RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently teased its next major project, generating immense excitement within the gaming community. However, follow-up statements from the studio's co-founder have brought nuance to the conversation, focusing on the developer's approach toward AI tools.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a recent message, the studio's founder explained that the developer is using machine learning for certain ancillary tasks. These include enhancing presentation materials, producing initial concept art, and writing draft text.
Crucially, Vincke emphasized that the shipping content in the game will be authored solely by human writers. "Larian is developing everything in-house," he said.
Our studio is continuously growing our pool of writers and are currently forming narrative groups.
As concept art is being particularly called out — we presently have over twenty concept artists and have job openings for more creatives.
Each initiative we do is additive and designed to letting our team spend greater focus on making content.
Any ML tool applied correctly is a boost to a creative team process, never a stand-in for their skill.
Addressing Concerns and Clarifying the Vision
The news of AI usage originally provoked backlash among a segment of the fanbase. In response, Vincke offered further detail on online platforms.
"At Larian, we employ machine learning to explore references, just like we use the internet and art books," he wrote. "In the very early brainstorming phase we use it as a basic framework for structure which we then replace with authentic concept art."
He continued, "Larian brings on talent for their inherent skill, not for their willingness to follow what a machine suggests."
Focused Uses for Machine Learning
Vincke had earlier broken down the studio's targeted approach to machine learning, defining its use into three main functions:
- Handling Monotonous Jobs: Areas like refining animations, dialogue cleanup, and Larian-specific work like adapting animations for different models.
- Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using technology to rapidly prototype basic models of scenarios to test concepts prior to full development.
- Long-Term Aspirations: Exploring how machine learning could one day create emergent player agency, especially in creating unforeseen permutations in a detailed game universe.
He explicitly affirmed that key artistic areas — including writing — are are absolutely not fields where the studio is cutting artistic talent. On the contrary, Larian is actively hiring in these very positions.
"Larian is neither shipping a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not planning on trimming down creatives to replace them with artificial intelligence," Vincke summarized.
