The Divinity Developer Details Its Application of Generative AI for Upcoming Divinity Game

The team behind popular RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin recently shown its upcoming project, sparking immense excitement within the player base. However, subsequent remarks from the company's figurehead have brought clarity to the discussion, focusing on the studio's stance toward generative artificial intelligence.

A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement

In a new clarification, the studio's founder outlined that the developer is using generative AI for certain ancillary functions. These include developing PowerPoint slides, creating initial visual ideas, and creating placeholder copy.

Importantly, Vincke stressed that the end assets in the game will be authored entirely by real artists. "Our team is developing all the content ourselves," he affirmed.

Our studio is actively expanding our team of concept artists and are busily assembling narrative groups.

As this area is being specifically mentioned — we currently have over twenty concept artists and have roles to fill for further artists.

Everything we do is additive and focused on enabling creatives to spend additional energy on making content.

Any machine learning application applied correctly is additive to a creative team process, not a replacement for their talent.

Addressing Concerns and Clarifying the Vision

The admission of employing this technology at first generated concern among some the player base. In response, Vincke offered additional clarification on social media.

"At Larian, we employ these tools to explore references, in the same way we use the internet and art books," he stated. "During the conceptual brainstorming phase we use it as a simple sketch for structure which we then substitute with original artwork."

He noted, "Larian brings on artists for their inherent skill, not for their willingness to follow what a algorithm proposes."

Key Areas of AI Integration

Vincke had in the past broken down the studio's practical strategy to this technology, categorizing its use into key functions:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: This includes polishing mocap data, dialogue cleanup, and Larian-specific work like retargeting animations.
• Fast-Tracked Experimentation: Using tools to rapidly prototype rough mock-ups of scenarios to test concepts before full implementation.
• Future Potential for Gameplay: Exploring how machine learning could in the future enhance emergent player agency, especially in managing unforeseen permutations in a vast role-playing world.

He explicitly affirmed that core creative domains — such as music composition — are are absolutely not departments where the studio is reducing human talent. On the contrary, Larian is expanding its staff in these very roles.

"We are not shipping a game with machine-made assets, nor considering reducing teams to substitute them with AI," Vincke concluded.