The studio behind acclaimed titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just shown its upcoming project, sparking a wave of excitement within the industry. However, follow-up comments from the company's figurehead have brought clarity to the narrative, addressing the studio's stance toward generative artificial intelligence.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a recent clarification, Larian's director explained that the developer is employing machine learning for certain preliminary purposes. These include developing pitch decks, creating initial artistic references, and creating temporary dialogue.
Notably, Vincke made clear that the shipping material in the game will be crafted solely by real artists. "Larian is writing all the content ourselves," he said.
Larian is constantly expanding our team of writers and are busily assembling narrative groups.
Given that this area is being specifically mentioned — we presently have 23 visual developers and have roles to fill for further artists.
Each initiative we do is incremental and focused on having people spend greater focus on making content.
Every ML tool used well is additive to a developer's 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 some the player base. In reaction, Vincke provided more detail on public forums.
"Our team utilizes AI tools to explore references, just like we use the internet and reference books," he explained. "During the very early ideation stages we use it as a basic framework for structure which we then replace with hand-crafted artwork."
He added, "Our studio recruits artists for their creative vision, not for their ability to replicate what a AI generates."
Focused Uses for Machine Learning
Vincke had previously detailed the team's targeted strategy to AI and ML, grouping its use into key areas:
- Streamlining Repetitive Work: Areas like motion capture cleaning, voice editing, and Larian-specific work like adjusting assets for various species.
- Accelerated Iteration: Using systems to rapidly prototype basic versions of scenarios to validate concepts before complete implementation.
- Future Potential for Gameplay: Investigating how AI could one day facilitate emergent player agency, especially in creating player-driven narratives in a complex RPG.
He specifically stated that central narrative domains — such as music composition — are not fields where the team is replacing creative involvement. Conversely, Larian is actively hiring in these exact positions.
"Our studio is not launching a game with AI-generated content, and we are certainly not considering cutting teams to substitute them with AI," Vincke concluded.
