The Divinity Developer Explains Its Implementation of Generative AI for New Divinity

The team behind acclaimed titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just shown its new project, sparking a wave of excitement within the player base. However, follow-up statements from the studio's co-founder have added a new dimension to the discussion, focusing on the studio's philosophy toward AI tools.

A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement

In a new statement, the studio's founder detailed that the company is utilizing machine learning for certain preliminary tasks. These include enhancing PowerPoint slides, generating rough visual ideas, and creating placeholder dialogue.

Notably, Vincke emphasized that the shipping assets in the game will be crafted entirely by real writers. "We are writing every line ourselves," he affirmed.

Our studio is continuously expanding our team of concept artists and are busily forming narrative groups.

Since visual development is being explicitly referenced — we presently have 23 artistic staff and have job openings for further artists.

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

Any ML tool applied correctly is a boost to a artist's process, never a stand-in for their skill.

Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent

The revelation of AI usage at first sparked backlash among portions of the fanbase. In reply, Vincke issued additional detail on online platforms.

"Our team utilizes these tools to gather inspiration, similar to we use search engines and reference books," he wrote. "During the very early ideation stages we use it as a basic framework for structure which we then substitute with original concept art."

He noted, "Our studio recruits talent for their unique talent, not for their willingness to replicate what a AI generates."

Focused Uses for Machine Learning

Vincke had in the past outlined the studio's focused method to AI and ML, categorizing its use into key areas:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: This includes refining animations, voice editing, and pipeline-specific tasks like adjusting assets for various species.
• Fast-Tracked Experimentation: Using technology to speedily create basic versions of scenarios to validate concepts before expensive production.
• Experimental Frontiers: Researching how AI could one day create emergent gameplay, especially in simulating unforeseen permutations in a complex RPG.

He clearly affirmed that central narrative areas — such as writing — are are in no way fields where the studio is replacing human involvement. In fact, Larian is actively hiring in these very roles.

"We are neither shipping a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not looking at cutting creatives to swap them out with artificial intelligence," Vincke summarized.