Larian is using generative AI, but Divinity won't contain AI content at launch, confirms CEO Swen Vincke

Following backlash concerning Larian Studios' use of generative AI, CEO Swen Vincke has clarified the studio's stance on the controversial tool.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Vincke explained that developers at Larian had begun implementing AI into their work, including the development of new ideas, concept art and placeholder text.

For Vincke, AI will be a key tool in ensuring that Divinity comes to market much sooner than Baldur's Gate 3, with Larian targeting a three-to-four-year development cycle, as opposed to BG3's six.

While Vincke has confirmed that generative AI is being used in the development of Divinity, he further clarified that no AI content will feature in the game at launch: "Everything is human actors; we're writing everything ourselves."

Despite this, Bloomberg's piece notes that there has been "some pushback" among Larian developers, but that, according to Vincke, "At this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we're using [AI]."

However, one particular line in the Bloomberg piece appears to have been taken rather out of context, with the piece claiming that "under Vincke, Larian has been pushing hard on generative AI."

This phrasing has caused quite a stir on social media, with some players sharing their disappointment in Vincke and the studio for what they perceive as anti-art and anti-developer use of AI, something that many believe will lead to job losses across the industry.

In response, Vincke made a post on X in which he denied that the studio's AI use would lead job losses, noting that, in fact, Larian is hiring more artists.

"Holy f**k guys we're not 'pushing hard' for or replacing concept artists with AI.

"We have a team of 72 artists of which 23 are concept artists and we are hiring more. The art they create is original and I'm very proud of what they do.

"I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn't say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists.

"We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use Google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison."

Vencke goes on to note that the studio views AI as a tool to enhance devs, not replace them: "We've hired creatives for their talent, not for their ability to do what a machine suggests, but they can experiment with these tools to make their lives easier."

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