The Divinity Developer Explains Its Application of Generative AI for Upcoming Divinity

The studio behind hit role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently unveiled its next major project, generating immense hype within the industry. However, recent remarks from the company's lead designer have added a new dimension to the conversation, focusing on the studio's approach toward generative artificial intelligence.

AI as a Creative Assistant, Not a Substitute

In a recent clarification, Swen Vincke explained that the team is using generative AI for specific ancillary functions. These encompass fleshing out presentation materials, generating rough artistic references, and writing placeholder copy.

Crucially, Vincke stressed that the final material in the game will be crafted entirely by actual creatives. "Our team is creating all the content in-house," he affirmed.

We are constantly growing our team of concept artists and are currently putting together writing teams.

Given that visual development is being explicitly mentioned — we right now have 23 visual developers and have roles to fill for more creatives.

All our efforts we do is incremental and aimed at letting our team spend additional energy on the creative process.

Any machine learning application implemented properly is supplementary to a creative team routine, never a stand-in for their skill.

Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path

The news of using AI at first provoked backlash among portions of the community. In reply, Vincke issued additional elaboration on online platforms.

"Our team utilizes AI tools to research ideas, in the same way we use the internet and physical media," he explained. "During the initial planning process we use it as a simple sketch for composition which we then swap out with hand-crafted concept art."

He continued, "Larian brings on creatives for their creative vision, not for their capacity to follow what a algorithm proposes."

Focused Uses for Machine Learning

Vincke had earlier detailed the company's targeted strategy to this technology, grouping its use into key pillars:

• Automation of Tedious Tasks: This includes refining animations, dialogue cleanup, and technical processes like adapting animations for different models.
• Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using tools to speedily create rough models of scenarios to experiment with concepts before full production.
• Future Potential for Gameplay: Investigating how machine learning could eventually create new forms of player agency, especially in creating player-driven narratives in a vast role-playing world.

He specifically stated that central narrative areas — like writing — are not fields where the studio is replacing creative involvement. On the contrary, Larian is actively hiring in these precise fields.

"Larian is neither launching a game with machine-made assets, nor looking at trimming down teams to replace them with artificial intelligence," Vincke stated definitively.