Remember the buzz around Baldur’s Gate 3? Larian Studios was riding high, but then… whispers started about AI-generated concept art. Gamers weren’t thrilled. It felt like a betrayal of the human touch we love in games. I remember when I first heard the news, my immediate thought was, “No way! Not Larian!” The good news is, Larian listened. They’re tackling this AI thing head-on, especially with their upcoming game, Divinity.
I’ve been writing about the gaming industry and tech for over five years, and I’ve seen firsthand how passionate gamers are about the creative process. So, let’s break down what Larian is saying about AI, how they plan to use it, and why it might not be as scary as you think.
1. Larian’s AI Promise: No AI Art in Divinity
Good news for art purists! Swen Vincke, the head honcho at Larian Studios, put it plainly: there will be no Generative AI art in Divinity. After the backlash from using AI for concept art in Baldur’s Gate 3, they’ve decided to ditch it for concepting altogether. This is a big deal. It shows they heard the fans loud and clear.
2. How Larian Plans to Use AI (Without Replacing Humans)
Okay, so no AI art. But Larian isn’t throwing AI out the window completely. They see potential for it to speed things up in other departments. Think faster idea refinement, a tighter development cycle, and less wasted effort. Their goal? A higher-quality game.
“We think GenAI can help with this and so we’re trying things out across departments. Our hope is that it can aid us to refine ideas faster, leading to a more focused development cycle, less waste, and ultimately, a higher-quality game.”
The key here is how they train the AI. If Larian uses AI to create in-game stuff, it will be based on data they already own. In other words, they’re not scraping random images from the internet. It’s like teaching an AI to paint using only Larian’s existing art style and assets.
3. “Trained on Data We Own”: What Does That Mean?
This is huge. Instead of feeding the AI a diet of who-knows-what, Larian is using its own creative library. Imagine teaching an AI to write music using only the scores from their previous games. The output would still feel like Larian, right? That’s the idea.
4. Larian’s Stance on AI Voice Modeling
Gabriel, Larian’s Machine Learning Director, jumped into the conversation to address another big concern: voice acting. He made it clear that Larian is committed to their actor agreements and will not use voice recordings to train AI voice modelers. This is a huge relief for voice actors, who have been understandably worried about AI taking their jobs.
5. How is AI being positively used in game development?
AI can be a powerful tool for making games better, faster. It can help with things like:
- Testing game levels to find bugs.
- Creating realistic animations.
- Generating textures and materials.
- Helping balance gameplay.
6. Will Larian replace artists with AI?
Larian is adamant that they won’t generate “creative assets” without being 100% sure about where the data came from and that consent was given for AI training. This suggests that AI will be used to support artists, not replace them.
What specific data is Larian using to train their AI?
Larian is training their AI on data they already own. This includes their existing art assets, sound effects, and other game-related data. This approach ensures that the AI-generated content stays true to Larian’s unique style.
Is Larian using AI to write dialogue or stories?
There’s no indication that Larian is using AI to write dialogue or stories. They seem to be focusing on using AI for more technical tasks, like generating textures or animations.
How will Larian ensure the AI doesn’t create biased or offensive content?
By training the AI on their own data, Larian has more control over the content it generates. They can also implement safeguards to prevent the AI from creating anything that is biased or offensive.
Larian’s approach to AI seems thoughtful and measured. They’re not blindly jumping on the AI bandwagon. Instead, they’re carefully exploring how AI can help them make better games while respecting the creative contributions of their human team.
What do you think about Larian’s plan for using AI in Divinity and future games? Are you more or less worried about AI in gaming after hearing this? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.