The Divinity Developer Details Its Application of AI Tools for Upcoming Divinity Game

The team behind hit role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just shown its upcoming project, creating significant excitement within the gaming community. However, recent statements from the company's co-founder have brought nuance to the narrative, focusing on the team's approach toward machine learning.

AI as a Creative Assistant, Not a Substitute

In a recent clarification, the studio's founder detailed that the company is employing AI technology for certain preliminary tasks. These encompass enhancing PowerPoint slides, producing initial visual ideas, and creating draft text.

Notably, Vincke made clear that the final content in the game will be crafted exclusively by human creatives. "Our team is developing all the content manually," he affirmed.

Our studio is actively expanding our roster of storytellers and are currently forming narrative groups.

Since this area is being particularly referenced — we right now have twenty-three artistic staff and have job openings for additional talent.

All our efforts we do is supplementary and designed to letting our team spend more time on the creative process.

Any ML tool used well is a boost to a developer's process, never a stand-in for their talent.

Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent

The admission of employing this technology initially provoked concern among a segment of the player base. In response, Vincke issued additional elaboration on social media.

"We use machine learning to gather inspiration, in the same way we use Google and physical media," he stated. "In the initial ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we then replace with original illustrations."

He added, "We've hired talent for their inherent skill, not for their willingness to execute what a algorithm proposes."

Three Pillars of Practical Application

Vincke had in the past outlined the team's practical strategy to AI and ML, defining its use into primary functions:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: This includes polishing mocap data, audio processing, and pipeline-specific tasks like adjusting assets for various species.
• Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using systems to rapidly prototype simple versions of mechanics to validate concepts prior to complete production.
• Future Potential for Gameplay: Exploring how machine learning could in the future create emergent reactivity, especially in creating unforeseen permutations in a vast role-playing world.

He clearly affirmed that core creative disciplines — such as music composition — are are absolutely not areas where the team is cutting creative talent. Conversely, Larian is expanding its staff in these precise positions.

"Larian is not launching a game with AI-generated content, nor planning on cutting teams to substitute them with artificial intelligence," Vincke stated definitively.