Larian Studios Details Its Application of AI Tools for Upcoming Divinity Game

The developer behind acclaimed titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just unveiled its new project, creating significant anticipation within the player base. However, subsequent statements from the company's lead designer have added clarity to the discussion, focusing on the studio's approach toward AI tools.

A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement

In a recent clarification, Larian's director explained that the team is using AI technology for particular preliminary tasks. These include developing pitch decks, creating initial concept art, and writing temporary text.

Crucially, Vincke stressed that the final material in the game will be created exclusively by real artists. "Larian is writing everything in-house," he said.

Larian is constantly expanding our team of storytellers and are busily forming narrative groups.

As concept art is being explicitly called out — we currently have 23 concept artists and have job openings for additional artists.

All our efforts we do is incremental and aimed at enabling creatives to spend more time on actual creation.

Any ML tool applied correctly is a boost to a creative team routine, not a replacement for their craft.

Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent

The admission of AI usage initially sparked unease among a segment of the fanbase. In reaction, Vincke issued more detail on social media.

"Our team utilizes AI tools to gather inspiration, just like we use Google and physical media," he wrote. "In the initial ideation stages we use it as a basic framework for layout which we then substitute with authentic artwork."

He continued, "We've hired creatives for their inherent skill, not for their ability to follow what a AI generates."

Three Pillars of Practical Application

Vincke had previously outlined the team's focused strategy to AI and ML, grouping its use into three main pillars:

• Automation of Tedious Tasks: This encompasses motion capture cleaning, dialogue cleanup, and Larian-specific work like adjusting assets for various species.
• Fast-Tracked Experimentation: Using technology to speedily create simple versions of scenarios to validate concepts before full implementation.
• Long-Term Aspirations: Investigating how machine learning could one day facilitate emergent reactivity, particularly in simulating player-driven narratives in a vast role-playing world.

He clearly noted that key artistic disciplines — like writing — are are in no way departments where the team is replacing artistic involvement. In fact, Larian is actively hiring in these very fields.

"We are neither shipping a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not planning on reducing creatives to substitute them with AI," Vincke stated definitively.