Larian CEO clarifies AI use in Divinity, confirms all writing and concept art remain human-made

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke says AI is used for support tasks only, with all game content created by humans

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke has responded to criticism following reports that the developer of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity is using generative AI in its latest game.

A Bloomberg report on December 16 noted that Vincke had encouraged the studio to experiment with AI, though he emphasised that it has not produced major efficiency gains.

Vincke stated that Divinity will not feature AI-generated content, confirming that all writing and performances are produced by human creators. The studio uses AI as a support tool for brainstorming ideas, building presentations, developing concept art, and drafting placeholder text. Vincke acknowledged some initial internal resistance but said the team is now comfortable with the approach.

The announcement prompted backlash online, with some fans claiming that concept artists were being replaced by AI. Vincke took to X to address the concerns, saying, “Holy f**k guys we’re not ‘pushing hard’ for or replacing concept artists with AI. We have a team of 72 artists of which 23 are concept artists and we are hiring more. The art they create is original and I’m very proud of what they do.”

He explained that AI is only used during early ideation stages as a loose compositional guide, which is then replaced with original concept art. “We’ve hired creatives for their talent, not for their ability to do what a machine suggests, but they can experiment with these tools to make their lives easier,” Vincke added.

Earlier this year, Vincke outlined how machine learning is used to automate repetitive development tasks such as motion capture cleaning, voice editing, and iteration of gameplay systems. He stressed that Larian is investing in human talent, stating, “It’s always going to be the people that are going to make a difference.”

While controversy continues, Larian has promised that Divinity will maintain its human-led creative vision, with AI serving only to support the development process.