The Divinity Developer Explains Its Use of AI Tools for Upcoming Project

The team behind popular titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just shown its upcoming project, sparking a wave of hype within the player base. However, subsequent comments from the company's co-founder have added a new dimension to the discussion, focusing on the team's philosophy toward machine learning.

AI as a Creative Assistant, Not a Substitute

In a new clarification, Swen Vincke outlined that the company is employing AI technology for certain ancillary tasks. These encompass developing presentation materials, creating initial artistic references, and writing temporary text.

Importantly, Vincke made clear that the end content in the game will be created entirely by human creatives. "Larian is developing all the content in-house," he said.

We are actively increasing our pool of concept artists and are busily putting together writing teams.

Since visual development is being explicitly called out — we currently have 23 artistic staff and have positions available for further talent.

Everything we do is incremental and focused on enabling creatives to spend more time on actual creation.

Any ML tool implemented properly is additive to a artist's process, not a substitute for their talent.

Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path

The revelation of using AI originally generated backlash among a segment of the fanbase. In response, Vincke issued more detail on social media.

"At Larian, we employ these tools to research ideas, similar to we use Google and reference books," he stated. "During the conceptual planning process we use it as a basic framework for structure which we then substitute with original illustrations."

He noted, "We've hired creatives for their unique talent, not for their ability to follow what a algorithm proposes."

Focused Uses for Machine Learning

Vincke had in the past detailed the team's targeted method to AI and ML, defining its use into key areas:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: This includes polishing mocap data, dialogue cleanup, and pipeline-specific tasks like adapting animations for different models.
• Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using systems to quickly build simple mock-ups of mechanics to test concepts before full implementation.
• Experimental Frontiers: Exploring how machine learning could in the future enhance innovative player agency, especially in managing player-driven narratives in a detailed game universe.

He explicitly affirmed that key artistic disciplines — including music composition — are not departments where the studio is replacing human input. Conversely, Larian is recruiting more in these exact roles.

"Larian is neither shipping a game with any AI components, nor planning on cutting staff to swap them out with artificial intelligence," Vincke concluded.