Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity developer Larian has confirmed that it uses generative AI in its development processes, but not necessarily in the way you might think.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Larian boss Swen Vincke said its developers use generative AI tools for things like exploring new game ideas, developing concept art, creating placeholder text, and for PowerPoint presentations. Vincke said, “I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we’re using it.” That said, Bloomberg reported that there has been “some pushback at Larian.”
He also confirmed that the new Divinity game will not have any AI-generated content in it. “Everything is human actors; we’re writing everything ourselves,” he said.
None of this is new or surprising, as Vincke said many months ago that Larian was using machine learning systems for a variety of functions, including “tasks that nobody wants to do.”
“For an RPG developer, what you really want is something that helps with reactivity to agency,” he said. “So, permutations that you did not foresee, reactions to things that the player has done, in the world, they will certainly augment the gameplay experience,” Vincke said of using machine learning to help generate new gameplay elements.
Vincke, like many in the industry before him, also said he is aware of “red flags” pertaining to the use of generative AI in game development.
Some people have legitimate fears of machine learning and AI systems stealing their work or taking their jobs. However, Vincke said Larian is hiring more people, not fewer, thanks to new technologies. This is what others, like EA CEO Andrew Wilson and Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick, have predicted.
“It’s always going to be the people that are going to make a difference,” Vincke said. “And so for us, it’s super clear that we’re investing heavily into the team and the human touch that’s being added to that.”
With more automation, human workers are freed up to create more, which in turn leads to the possibility of making “more complex things,” Vincke said.
“When complexity goes up, things start getting really interesting. So it’s fair to say that the games that are being made today are arguably more complex than they were in the past,” he said. “The faster you can iterate, the faster you will get to a certain result. And then and the tightening of those pipelines should allow you, in theory, to make your games in a more efficient manner.”
Vincke also said the general population might not be aware of how much time an animator may spend on “stuff they don’t want to work on.” As such, thanks to automation, “It adds a lot to the time that they have to work on the creative stuff,” Vincke said.
Vincke said it’s “the wrong attitude” to assume that automation will replace various people and departments. Because automation should, in theory, allow people to do “more of what really matters and less of the stuff that they don’t want to do.”
“That’s not necessarily cost reduction,” he added. “But it’s going to be an increase of ability, which is a good thing.”
The new Divinity game was announced at The Game Awards recently with a flashy–and super gross–CGI trailer. The game has no release date as of yet.
For more, be sure to read GameSpot’s own new interview with Vincke, in which he claims that the new Divinity game will be better than Baldur’s Gate 3 “on all fronts.”