Larian Studios Clarifies Its Application of Machine Learning for New Divinity Game
The studio behind acclaimed titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin recently teased its upcoming project, sparking a wave of hype within the player base. However, subsequent comments from the studio's co-founder have added a new dimension to the discussion, focusing on the developer's stance toward machine learning.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a recent message, Larian's director detailed that the company is using generative AI for certain supporting purposes. These encompass enhancing presentation materials, generating early-stage visual ideas, and writing draft copy.
Crucially, Vincke emphasized that the shipping material in the game will be created entirely by human artists. "Larian is writing all the content in-house," he said.
Our studio is actively growing our team of concept artists and are currently assembling dedicated writer rooms.
As this area is being specifically called out — we currently have 23 artistic staff and have positions available for more creatives.
Each initiative we do is incremental and aimed at enabling creatives to spend more time on making content.
Every ML tool used well is additive to a creative team process, not a replacement for their skill.
Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent
The admission of using AI originally sparked unease among some the community. In response, Vincke issued more detail on online platforms.
"At Larian, we employ machine learning to gather inspiration, similar to we use search engines and art books," he explained. "In the conceptual ideation stages we use it as a simple sketch for composition which we then swap out with hand-crafted artwork."
He noted, "Larian brings on creatives for their creative vision, not for their capacity to replicate what a AI generates."
Three Pillars of Practical Application
Vincke had in the past detailed the company's practical strategy to machine learning, defining its use into primary areas:
- Automation of Tedious Tasks: Areas like motion capture cleaning, audio processing, and technical processes like retargeting animations.
- Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using systems to quickly build basic mock-ups of gameplay ideas to experiment with concepts ahead of full development.
- Long-Term Aspirations: Investigating how AI could eventually create innovative gameplay, specifically in managing player-driven narratives in a vast role-playing world.
He explicitly stated that key artistic domains — like visual art — are not areas where the studio is cutting artistic input. On the contrary, Larian is expanding its staff in these precise roles.
"Our studio is not releasing a game with AI-generated content, nor considering reducing staff to replace them with artificial intelligence," Vincke summarized.