In the Bloomberg report relating to the current situation of Larian Studios, il team on Baldur’s Gate 3 currently working on Divinity, the fact also emerges that the studio often experiments withgenerative artificial intelligencewhich immediately sparked protests controversies to which the CEO wanted to respond.
Larian reported that generative AI is coming used quite regularly in the design and development process, but above all to test prototypes and possible designs, specifying that no element of the finished games contains assets actually built with AI.
It is therefore a tool used above all for experimentation, which according to CEO Swen Vincke allows saving resources and time in phases that could instead become rather long, but would not affect the quality of the finished product.
A tool that must make work easier
The use of generative AI in video games is extremely controversial, and even this choice by Larian Studios has not gone unnoticed: to tell the truth, several testimonies seem to demonstrate a certain contrast to its use even within the team itself, although Vincke claims that it is a practice now accepted by almost all members.
In any case, the criticisms were not long in coming and, within a few hours, the online debate inflamed until it reached Larian, forcing Vincke to do some clarification about the team’s use of AI.
In the Bloomberg article it is reported that Larian uses AI for various preliminary and provisional elements such as experimentation of ideas, construction of provisional text, PowerPoint presentations and initial concept art, specifying however that these elements do not reach the final product.
In the face of sudden criticism, Vincke explained that the team continues to “progressively increase the quantity of concept artists, writers and narrators”, as well as regularly carrying out “casting of actors and recording of live performances”, as well as “hiring translators”.
“Since the concept art is explicitly mentioned, we have 23 concept artists and we are looking for more candidates. These artists create concept art day after day for concept and production,” the CEO of Larian told IGN, in response to the controversy.
Divinity was announced by Larian Studios with a creepy trailer
“Everything we do is incremental and aimed at getting people to spend more time creating. Any ML tool used correctly is a added value to the workflow of a creative team or individual, not a substitute for their skills or craft”, and this is the main element that Vincke wanted to underline.
“We are studying and understanding the latest in ML as a tool for creatives to see what it can do simplify their daily livesallowing us to make better games.
We are not releasing any games with artificial intelligence components, nor are we planning to ridurre i team to replace them with artificial intelligence”, clarified the CEO.
“While we understand that this is an emotional topic, it is something we constantly discuss internally with the goal of making everyone’s work day better, not worse.”
From the Bloomberg report it emerged that Divinity will be a turn-based role-playing game, superior to Baldur’s Gate 3 and that for the new game it is creating a new graphics engine that does not limit the potential.
