The Divinity Developer Details Its Application of Machine Learning for Upcoming Divinity

The developer behind hit role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin recently teased its new project, sparking immense excitement within the player base. However, recent remarks from the company's lead designer have brought clarity to the conversation, touching on the studio's philosophy toward generative artificial intelligence.

AI as a Creative Assistant, Not a Substitute

In a recent message, the studio's founder outlined that the developer is utilizing AI technology for specific supporting functions. These encompass fleshing out pitch decks, creating rough artistic references, and writing temporary text.

Notably, Vincke made clear that the final assets in the game will be crafted entirely by human creatives. "Our team is writing all the content manually," he said.

Larian is constantly growing our roster of concept artists and are actively forming writing teams.

As this area is being explicitly called out — we currently have 23 visual developers and have positions available for further artists.

All our efforts we do is supplementary and focused on letting our team spend greater focus on making content.

Every ML tool used well is a boost to a creative team workflow, not a substitute for their craft.

Addressing Concerns and Clarifying the Vision

The revelation of employing this technology originally provoked backlash among some the fanbase. In response, Vincke issued additional detail on social media.

"We use machine learning to explore references, just like we use the internet and reference books," he explained. "During the very early brainstorming phase we use it as a basic framework for composition which we then substitute with authentic artwork."

He continued, "Our studio recruits artists for their unique talent, not for their willingness to execute what a algorithm proposes."

Three Pillars of Practical Application

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

• Streamlining Repetitive Work: Areas like refining animations, dialogue cleanup, and pipeline-specific tasks like adjusting assets for various species.
• Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using tools to rapidly prototype simple versions of mechanics to test concepts ahead of full development.
• Long-Term Aspirations: Researching how AI could one day create innovative player agency, particularly in creating unforeseen permutations in a detailed game universe.

He explicitly affirmed that core creative domains — including visual art — are are absolutely not fields where the team is reducing human involvement. Conversely, Larian is recruiting more in these precise positions.

"Our studio is neither releasing a game with any AI components, and we are certainly not considering cutting creatives to substitute them with AI," Vincke summarized.