Larian Studios Clarifies Its Use of AI Tools for New Project

The developer behind acclaimed titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently shown its upcoming project, creating immense excitement within the gaming community. However, follow-up remarks from the company's co-founder have brought nuance to the conversation, addressing the studio's approach toward AI tools.

A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement

In a latest clarification, the studio's founder explained that the team is using generative AI for particular preliminary purposes. These encompass fleshing out presentation materials, creating initial concept art, and writing placeholder dialogue.

Crucially, Vincke emphasized that the final content in the game will be authored entirely by human writers. "We are developing everything in-house," he affirmed.

Larian is continuously expanding our team of storytellers and are actively assembling narrative groups.

Given that visual development is being particularly called out — we currently have over twenty artistic staff and have roles to fill for additional artists.

Everything we do is incremental and aimed at letting our team spend more time on the creative process.

Any AI system implemented properly is supplementary to a developer's routine, never a stand-in for their craft.

Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent

The admission of AI usage initially provoked unease among a segment of the player base. In response, Vincke offered further elaboration on social media.

"At Larian, we employ these tools to research ideas, similar to we use search engines and physical media," he stated. "In the very early brainstorming phase we use it as a rough outline for layout which we then substitute with hand-crafted concept art."

He continued, "We've hired artists for their inherent skill, not for their ability to execute what a algorithm proposes."

Key Areas of AI Integration

Vincke had earlier detailed the studio's targeted method to machine learning, defining its use into three main areas:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: This encompasses motion capture cleaning, dialogue cleanup, and technical processes like adjusting assets for various species.
• Fast-Tracked Experimentation: Using technology to speedily create rough mock-ups of scenarios to test concepts prior to expensive production.
• Experimental Frontiers: Investigating how AI could in the future enhance emergent reactivity, especially in managing dynamic reactions in a complex RPG.

He clearly affirmed that central narrative areas — like writing — are are in no way departments where the company is replacing creative input. In fact, Larian is expanding its staff in these very positions.

"Larian is neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor considering cutting creatives to replace them with artificial intelligence," Vincke concluded.