Larian CEO Swen Vincke said earlier this year that the Baldur's Gate 3 studio is using generative AI to automate certain prototyping tasks, such as creating mock levels for designers to work with before replacing them with handmade art. The comments didn't attract much notice at the time, but similar remarks in a new Bloomberg interview about Larian's next big RPG, Divinity, have kicked up a storm of complaints which the studio is now pushing back on.
In Bloomberg's words, Larian has been "pushing hard" on generative AI and its developers "often use AI tools to explore ideas, flesh out PowerPoint presentations, develop concept art and write placeholder text."
Vincke reiterated in the interview that the studio isn't using generative AI to create any of the art, voices, or writing we see in its games. After the interview was published, he also said that "pushing hard" isn't a correct characterization of Larian's AI policy and that AI is not being used "to develop concept art" in his view—though it is being used in "the very early ideation stages."
Above: Our post-Game Awards interview with Larian about its next RPG.
The Larian CEO has previously rejected the idea that generative AI tools can replace creative workers, saying in April for instance that when the studio needed more concept art, it hired 15 more concept artists. But word of Larian's generative AI use has been taken as a betrayal by numerous fans, and one ex-employee has urged the company to reconsider its stance.
Artist Selena Tobin, who's credited as a junior environment artist on Baldur's Gate 3, said on Bluesky that she loved working at Larian "until AI."
"Reconsider and change your direction, like, yesterday," wrote Tobin. "Show your employees some respect. they are world-class & do not need AI assistance to come up with amazing ideas."
Elsewhere, fans are saying they won't play future Larian games, expressing feelings of disappointment and betrayal, and speculating on the likelihood of AI-generated placeholders slipping into Divinity, a phenomenon we've seen several times in other games, including this year's Game Awards winner Clair Obscur.
On X, Larian publishing director Michael Douse responded to the criticism, contrasting Larian's use of the technology with that of less-scrupulous developers who would directly feature AI-made assets in their games, or use the technology as an excuse for layoffs.
"Back in April our stance on AI in workflows was established so I'm not sure why this is coming up now as a controversy (the timing of it!)," wrote Douse. "We continue to hire people across all departments, not trim. Our goal is to make life better for individual workflows, not worse. We want to make better games that don't feature AI content in them, where much of the industry will feature AI content. We want everyone to have fulfilling, creative roles & keep their jobs, in an industry of mass layoffs. In other words, I'm not entirely sure we are the ideal target for the level of scorn."
An exasperated-sounding Vincke also elaborated on the studio's generative AI use on X, denying the "pushing hard" characterization, and saying that AI tools are used for ideation and rough composition, but not beyond that.
"Holy fuck guys we're not 'pushing hard' for or replacing concept artists with AI," Vincke wrote. "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.
"I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn't say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists.
"We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use Google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison."
The Larian boss pointed to the Gamespot interview from April for further elaboration, and added that the studio has "hired creatives for their talent, not for their ability to do what a machine suggests," but allows them to "experiment with these tools to make their lives easier."
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