The Divinity Developer Details Its Implementation of Generative AI for Upcoming Project
The developer behind acclaimed role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently teased its next major project, sparking significant excitement within the gaming community. However, subsequent statements from the company's lead designer have introduced clarity to the narrative, touching on the studio's stance toward generative artificial intelligence.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a latest statement, Swen Vincke explained that the developer is utilizing AI technology for particular supporting functions. These encompass fleshing out pitch decks, creating early-stage concept art, and creating placeholder text.
Notably, Vincke stressed that the shipping assets in the game will be crafted entirely by real artists. "Our team is writing all the content ourselves," he stated.
Our studio is continuously increasing our roster of storytellers and are currently putting together writing teams.
As concept art is being particularly called out — we right now have over twenty concept artists and have job openings for additional talent.
Everything we do is additive and aimed at having people spend more time on actual creation.
Every machine learning application applied correctly is a boost to a creative team process, not a replacement for their talent.
Addressing Concerns and Clarifying the Vision
The admission of AI usage at first sparked concern among some the player base. In reply, Vincke provided more elaboration on online platforms.
"We use machine learning to gather inspiration, in the same way we use search engines and physical media," he explained. "In the conceptual ideation stages we use it as a basic framework for structure which we then swap out with original artwork."
He added, "Our studio recruits creatives for their inherent skill, not for their capacity to replicate what a AI generates."
Key Areas of AI Integration
Vincke had earlier detailed the team's targeted method to AI and ML, categorizing its use into three main areas:
- Handling Monotonous Jobs: This encompasses polishing mocap data, audio processing, and pipeline-specific tasks like retargeting animations.
- Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using technology to quickly build basic mock-ups of mechanics to validate concepts prior to expensive production.
- Long-Term Aspirations: Exploring how machine learning could eventually create emergent gameplay, especially in creating dynamic reactions in a vast role-playing world.
He explicitly stated that core creative areas — like writing — are are absolutely not areas where the company is cutting human involvement. Conversely, Larian is recruiting more in these exact roles.
"Larian is neither releasing a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not planning on reducing teams to swap them out with artificial intelligence," Vincke stated definitively.
