The Creators of Baldur's Gate 3 Details Its Application of AI Tools for Next Project

The studio behind hit role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin just shown its upcoming project, sparking immense excitement within the gaming community. However, recent statements from the studio's co-founder have introduced a new dimension to the narrative, focusing on the team's stance toward generative artificial intelligence.

A Tool for Ideation, Not Replacement

In a new statement, Swen Vincke outlined that the developer is using generative AI for particular supporting tasks. These encompass developing presentation materials, generating initial visual ideas, and writing draft text.

Crucially, Vincke made clear that the end assets in the game will be authored exclusively by human creatives. "Our team is developing everything ourselves," he said.

We are constantly increasing our pool of concept artists and are busily assembling writing teams.

As this area is being particularly mentioned — we presently have over twenty concept artists and have positions available for more creatives.

Everything we do is incremental and focused on having people spend additional energy on the creative process.

Every machine learning application used well is supplementary to a developer's workflow, not a substitute for their craft.

Tempering Reactions with Clear Intent

The admission of AI usage at first generated unease among portions of the community. In response, Vincke offered additional elaboration on public forums.

"Our team utilizes AI tools to gather inspiration, just like we use Google and art books," he wrote. "In the initial brainstorming phase we use it as a basic framework for composition which we then swap out with original artwork."

He noted, "We've hired talent for their creative vision, not for their willingness to execute what a machine suggests."

Focused Uses for Machine Learning

Vincke had earlier detailed the studio's practical strategy to AI and ML, defining its use into three main areas:

• Handling Monotonous Jobs: This encompasses refining animations, audio processing, and technical processes like retargeting animations.
• Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using tools to quickly build basic versions of scenarios to experiment with concepts prior to complete production.
• Long-Term Aspirations: Investigating how AI could eventually facilitate new forms of reactivity, especially in managing player-driven narratives in a detailed game universe.

He explicitly stated that central narrative areas — such as writing — are are in no way departments where the studio is replacing creative input. Conversely, Larian is actively hiring in these very positions.

"Our studio is not shipping a game with machine-made assets, nor planning on trimming down creatives to replace them with AI," Vincke stated definitively.