The Creators of Baldur's Gate 3 Explains Its Implementation of AI Tools for New Divinity Game
The team behind acclaimed titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently teased its new project, generating a wave of anticipation within the industry. However, subsequent remarks from the studio's figurehead have introduced a new dimension to the conversation, focusing on the developer's stance toward generative artificial intelligence.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a recent message, the studio's founder outlined that the company is employing generative AI for particular preliminary purposes. These encompass developing PowerPoint slides, generating rough artistic references, and drafting placeholder text.
Importantly, Vincke emphasized that the end material in the game will be crafted exclusively by actual artists. "Our team is writing all the content in-house," he said.
We are constantly increasing our pool of storytellers and are actively assembling writing teams.
Given that concept art is being particularly mentioned — we presently have 23 artistic staff and have roles to fill for more creatives.
All our efforts we do is supplementary and designed to having people spend more time on the creative process.
Every ML tool implemented properly is supplementary to a artist's routine, not a replacement for their craft.
Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent
The news of AI usage initially generated backlash among portions of the fanbase. In reply, Vincke offered more clarification on online platforms.
"Our team utilizes these tools to research ideas, in the same way we use search engines and reference books," he stated. "In the conceptual planning process we use it as a simple sketch for layout which we then swap out with hand-crafted artwork."
He noted, "Our studio recruits talent for their unique talent, not for their capacity to execute what a AI generates."
Three Pillars of Practical Application
Vincke had previously detailed the studio's focused method to AI and ML, defining its use into key areas:
- Automation of Tedious Tasks: This includes motion capture cleaning, dialogue cleanup, and technical processes like retargeting animations.
- Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using technology to rapidly prototype basic models of mechanics to validate concepts before expensive implementation.
- Future Potential for Gameplay: Researching how machine learning could eventually enhance emergent gameplay, specifically in simulating player-driven narratives in a vast role-playing world.
He clearly noted that central narrative domains — including writing — are are in no way departments where the studio is replacing human input. In fact, Larian is recruiting more in these very fields.
"Larian is neither releasing a game with AI-generated content, nor planning on reducing staff to substitute them with AI," Vincke concluded.
