The Divinity Developer Details Its Use of Machine Learning for Upcoming Divinity Game

The team behind hit RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently shown its new project, sparking immense hype within the industry. However, follow-up remarks from the company's co-founder have introduced nuance to the narrative, addressing the developer's philosophy toward AI tools.

AI as a Creative Assistant, Not a Substitute

In a recent message, Larian's director explained that the company is utilizing AI technology for particular supporting tasks. These involve fleshing out PowerPoint slides, producing initial concept art, and creating placeholder text.

Notably, Vincke emphasized that the shipping assets in the game will be crafted solely by human creatives. "We are writing everything in-house," he said.

Our studio is continuously increasing our team of storytellers and are currently putting together dedicated writer rooms.

Since concept art is being explicitly referenced — we presently have twenty-three artistic staff and have roles to fill for additional creatives.

All our efforts we do is incremental and focused on enabling creatives to spend additional energy on making content.

Any machine learning application used well is supplementary to a developer's workflow, not a substitute for their craft.

Addressing Concerns and Clarifying the Vision

The admission of employing this technology originally generated concern among a segment of the player base. In reaction, Vincke provided additional clarification on social media.

"Our team utilizes these tools to gather inspiration, in the same way we use Google and art books," he wrote. "During the conceptual ideation stages we use it as a basic framework for composition which we then swap out with authentic artwork."

He added, "We've hired creatives for their inherent skill, not for their capacity to replicate what a algorithm proposes."

Key Areas of AI Integration

Vincke had earlier outlined the company's practical strategy to machine learning, defining its use into three main functions:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: Areas like motion capture cleaning, audio processing, and technical processes like adjusting assets for various species.
• Accelerated Iteration: Using systems to speedily create basic models of gameplay ideas to validate concepts ahead of complete production.
• Experimental Frontiers: Investigating how AI could one day facilitate innovative gameplay, especially in simulating player-driven narratives in a detailed game universe.

He explicitly stated that key artistic disciplines — such as visual art — are are absolutely not departments where the studio is reducing human talent. Conversely, Larian is actively hiring in these exact roles.

"We are not releasing a game with any AI components, nor looking at cutting creatives to swap them out with AI," Vincke stated definitively.