The Divinity Developer Clarifies Its Application of AI Tools for Next Divinity Game
The developer behind hit titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just shown its next major project, generating immense excitement within the player base. However, follow-up statements from the company's lead designer have introduced clarity to the conversation, addressing the team's philosophy toward generative artificial intelligence.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a latest clarification, the studio's founder outlined that the developer is employing AI technology for particular supporting functions. These encompass fleshing out presentation materials, creating early-stage visual ideas, and drafting draft text.
Notably, Vincke stressed that the shipping content in the game will be created entirely by human writers. "We are developing all the content ourselves," he stated.
Our studio is continuously increasing our team of storytellers and are busily forming writing teams.
As this area is being explicitly mentioned — we currently have over twenty visual developers and have positions available for further artists.
Each initiative we do is additive and designed to letting our team spend additional energy on making content.
Any AI system used well is additive to a creative team process, never a stand-in for their skill.
Addressing Concerns and Clarifying the Vision
The news of AI usage originally generated concern among a segment of the fanbase. In reply, Vincke issued further detail on public forums.
"Our team utilizes these tools to gather inspiration, in the same way we use search engines and art books," he explained. "In the initial planning process we use it as a simple sketch for layout which we then substitute with hand-crafted illustrations."
He noted, "We've hired talent for their unique talent, not for their willingness to replicate what a AI generates."
Three Pillars of Practical Application
Vincke had previously outlined the team's practical approach to AI and ML, defining its use into three main functions:
- Handling Monotonous Jobs: This includes refining animations, dialogue cleanup, and pipeline-specific tasks like retargeting animations.
- Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using systems to rapidly prototype basic models of scenarios to experiment with concepts ahead of full production.
- Future Potential for Gameplay: Investigating how machine learning could in the future facilitate emergent reactivity, particularly in simulating player-driven narratives in a vast role-playing world.
He specifically affirmed that key artistic domains — like writing — are are absolutely not fields where the company is reducing creative talent. On the contrary, Larian is expanding its staff in these exact roles.
"Our studio is not releasing a game with any AI components, nor looking at reducing creatives to swap them out with AI," Vincke stated definitively.
