Larian Studios Explains Its Implementation of Generative AI for New Project

The team behind acclaimed titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently unveiled its new project, sparking immense hype within the gaming community. However, recent comments from the studio's co-founder have added a new dimension to the narrative, focusing on the team's stance toward AI tools.

Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs

In a latest statement, Swen Vincke explained that the team is utilizing AI technology for specific preliminary purposes. These encompass enhancing presentation materials, producing rough concept art, and creating temporary text.

Importantly, Vincke made clear that the end assets in the game will be crafted entirely by real creatives. "We are creating everything in-house," he said.

Our studio is continuously expanding our pool of writers and are actively assembling writing teams.

As this area is being specifically called out — we presently have 23 concept artists and have roles to fill for further creatives.

All our efforts we do is supplementary and aimed at having people spend more time on actual creation.

Any machine learning application implemented properly is a boost to a developer's process, never a stand-in for their talent.

Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path

The news of employing this technology originally generated backlash among portions of the community. In response, Vincke issued further clarification on public forums.

"At Larian, we employ machine learning to gather inspiration, similar to we use search engines and physical media," he stated. "During the initial planning process we use it as a rough outline for composition which we then substitute with original concept art."

He noted, "Larian brings on artists for their inherent skill, not for their willingness to execute what a AI generates."

Focused Uses for Machine Learning

Vincke had previously broken down the team's practical approach to this technology, grouping its use into key pillars:

• Automation of Tedious Tasks: Areas like polishing mocap data, dialogue cleanup, and technical processes like adjusting assets for various species.
• Accelerated Iteration: Using systems to quickly build rough models of mechanics to experiment with concepts prior to complete development.
• Future Potential for Gameplay: Exploring how machine learning could eventually create emergent gameplay, especially in creating player-driven narratives in a vast role-playing world.

He explicitly noted that core creative disciplines — such as writing — are are absolutely not fields where the studio is reducing human input. Conversely, Larian is expanding its staff in these very positions.

"We are neither releasing a game with AI-generated content, and we are certainly not planning on reducing creatives to replace them with artificial intelligence," Vincke concluded.