Larian Studios Details Its Implementation of AI Tools for Next Project

The developer behind hit role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just unveiled its next major project, creating a wave of hype within the player base. However, recent remarks from the company's lead designer have brought nuance to the narrative, focusing on the team's stance toward machine learning.

Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs

In a recent statement, Swen Vincke explained that the developer is using machine learning for certain preliminary tasks. These include fleshing out PowerPoint slides, producing initial visual ideas, and writing placeholder text.

Notably, Vincke stressed that the end assets in the game will be created solely by real creatives. "Larian is creating all the content manually," he affirmed.

We are constantly increasing our team of writers and are busily assembling narrative groups.

Given that concept art is being explicitly called out — we right now have over twenty artistic staff and have roles to fill for additional creatives.

Each initiative we do is incremental and focused on having people spend additional energy on the creative process.

Any AI system used well is additive to a developer's routine, not a substitute for their craft.

Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent

The admission of employing this technology at first sparked unease among some the player base. In reply, Vincke provided further elaboration on social media.

"We use these tools to gather inspiration, in the same way we use Google and art books," he explained. "During the initial brainstorming phase we use it as a simple sketch for composition which we then substitute with authentic concept art."

He noted, "Our studio recruits artists for their creative vision, not for their ability to replicate what a AI generates."

Key Areas of AI Integration

Vincke had previously detailed the company's focused approach to AI and ML, defining its use into key pillars:

• Automation of Tedious Tasks: Areas like polishing mocap data, dialogue cleanup, and pipeline-specific tasks like retargeting animations.
• Fast-Tracked Experimentation: Using systems to quickly build rough models of gameplay ideas to test concepts before expensive implementation.
• Future Potential for Gameplay: Investigating how AI could in the future enhance emergent player agency, especially in simulating unforeseen permutations in a detailed game universe.

He explicitly affirmed that core creative disciplines — like music composition — are not fields where the company is reducing artistic involvement. Conversely, Larian is actively hiring in these very positions.

"Our studio is not launching a game with AI-generated content, nor planning on reducing teams to swap them out with artificial intelligence," Vincke summarized.