Divinity development will use AI, triggering player backlash! Larian clarifies: no layoffs will result from this

Larian Studios’ new work “Divinity” has announced it will use generative AI in development, sparking backlash from players. The official quickly clarified that AI will only be used for assistance and automation tasks, and will never replace human employees or AI-generated content creation.

Divinity using AI-assisted development sparks player backlash

Famous for “Divinity: Original Sin” and “Baldur’s Gate 3,” game developer Larian Studios recently revealed their new project “Divinity,” attracting significant attention from the gaming community. However, after a Bloomberg report was published, the promotional atmosphere shifted.

The Bloomberg article stated that Larian is integrating generative AI technology into the development process, using it to enhance presentation content, develop concept art, and write placeholder text, describing Larian as actively promoting this technology.

Following the report, there was immediate strong backlash and criticism from some players, who worried that AI tools would lead to layoffs or replace human creators.

Official Clarification: Never Use AI to Replace Humans

In response to external criticism and outrage, Larian CEO Swen Vincke quickly issued a statement clarifying that they have never heavily promoted AI, nor do they intend to use AI to replace concept artists.

Vincke emphasized that the studio will not release any game containing AI-generated components, nor do they plan to reduce team size or replace human employees with AI.

He further revealed that currently, Larian has 23 concept artists and is still recruiting new talent. AI tools will only be used in early reference and layout exploration, similar to using Google search or art encyclopedias. The final content will remain entirely original by human artists.

Image source: Belga News Agency. Larian Studios (Larian Studios) has 23 concept artists and is continuously recruiting new staff.

Larian’s AI Application in Three Areas: Automation, White-box Testing, and Debugging

It is clear that, at this stage, Larian’s use of generative AI aims to improve tedious and mechanical tasks during development, allowing humans to focus more on creative work.

In an earlier interview with GameSpot, Vincke revealed that Larian primarily uses generative AI in three areas:

1. Automating tasks no one wants to do: such as cleaning motion capture data, voice editing, and retargeting character animations across species.
2. White-box testing: enabling the team to iterate quickly on ideas before actual game construction, speeding up development.
3. Enhancing game responsiveness: although generative AI technology is not yet fully mature, Larian’s goal is to make systems respond to unexpected player behaviors.

Additionally, for large branching storylines, the team uses AI for narrative validation, automatically checking for logical contradictions among hundreds of story permutations. One reason players love “Baldur’s Gate 3” is its high degree of freedom and numerous branches.

Image source: Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay screenshot

Vincke reaffirmed that in core creative areas such as visuals, scripts, and music, Larian insists on human creation, with AI serving only as an auxiliary tool.

The Director of “Heavenly Kingdom: Salvation 2” also commented, stating that industry use of AI is already a trend

Larian’s controversy over generative AI has also attracted industry attention. Daniel Vávra, director of “Heavenly Kingdom: Salvation 2,” said, Larian is doing what everyone in the game industry is doing, yet they are suffering unwarranted blame.

Vávra openly stated that, although he is not a fan of AI-generated art, he must face reality: AI technology is an inevitable trend. Resisting AI is as pointless as resisting the use of sewing machines in the textile industry in the past.

He believes that if AI can help developers complete large-scale games in shorter timeframes, freeing art directors, writers, and programmers from tedious tasks to focus on core creative work, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

He asked, “If the same results can be achieved in minutes for free, who would want to spend months and huge sums?”

Image source: X “Heavenly Kingdom: Salvation 2” game director Daniel Vávra states that AI use in the industry is already a trend

How to Balance AI in the Gaming Industry?

The application of AI technology in game development has become inevitable, and developers will decide the extent of its involvement. However, from the recent controversy surrounding Larian, it is clear that despite the potential to improve development efficiency, the gaming community remains highly sensitive and cautious about the use of generative AI.

Regardless of industry opinions, how to balance technological innovation with maintaining the artistic value created by humans will be a challenge all game developers must carefully face.

Further reading:
GTA creator warns: AI training will lead to a cycle of overcompetition, potentially degrading overall game quality!