The Creators of Baldur's Gate 3 Clarifies Its Application of Generative AI for Next Divinity Game

The developer behind acclaimed RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just shown its next major project, sparking significant anticipation within the industry. However, subsequent remarks from the company's figurehead have added nuance to the discussion, addressing the developer's stance toward machine learning.

A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement

In a latest clarification, Swen Vincke outlined that the developer is utilizing machine learning for specific supporting tasks. These encompass enhancing PowerPoint slides, generating initial concept art, and drafting draft copy.

Notably, Vincke stressed that the shipping content in the game will be crafted entirely by human artists. "Our team is developing all the content in-house," he stated.

We are actively expanding our team of writers and are currently forming writing teams.

Since visual development is being explicitly mentioned — we currently have twenty-three visual developers and have job openings for additional artists.

All our efforts we do is incremental and focused on letting our team spend additional energy on making content.

Every ML tool implemented properly is supplementary to a creative team workflow, never a stand-in for their skill.

Responding to Feedback and Defining the Path

The revelation of AI usage at first sparked backlash among a segment of the player base. In reply, Vincke offered further clarification on public forums.

"Our team utilizes AI tools to gather inspiration, similar to we use search engines and reference books," he explained. "In the very early brainstorming phase we use it as a basic framework for structure which we then replace with hand-crafted artwork."

He continued, "We've hired talent for their inherent skill, not for their capacity to follow what a algorithm proposes."

Three Pillars of Practical Application

Vincke had earlier broken down the studio's targeted strategy to this technology, categorizing its use into three main areas:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: This includes refining animations, dialogue cleanup, and Larian-specific work like adapting animations for different models.
• Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using systems to rapidly prototype basic versions of gameplay ideas to experiment with concepts ahead of expensive development.
• Experimental Frontiers: Researching how machine learning could eventually create new forms of gameplay, specifically in creating player-driven narratives in a detailed game universe.

He specifically stated that core creative areas — including music composition — are not areas where the studio is cutting human talent. Conversely, Larian is expanding its staff in these exact fields.

"We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not looking at trimming down staff to swap them out with AI," Vincke concluded.