Divinity developer Larian Studios says it has "decided to refrain" from using generative AI to develop concept art after facing widespread backlash over the issue. While the Baldur's Gate 3 studio is far from the first to confirm it has used or plans to use AI in game development, it's become a centerpiece of the AI discussion lately, drawing impassioned responses from both sides. Now, the team behind Divinity has attempted to calm the storm by clarifying a few things.
Larian gave fans their first look at Divinity during The Game Awards 2025 following a viral and mysterious marketing campaign involving a statue in the Mojave Desert. Since then, it's sparked equal excitement and controversy, though the latter has surrounded the studio more than the game itself. Larian decided to address both by announcing a Reddit AMA about Divinity and the devs' process, which inevitably led to a conversation about AI.
"No, We Don't Want to Make the Same Game" Larian Responds to Divinity's Baldur's Gate 4 Expectations
Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke acknowledges some players may expect Divinity to effectively be Baldur's Gate 4 but says that won't be the case.
Larian CEO Says Divinity Will Not Use AI-Generated Concept Art
During the AMA, Larian CEO Swen Vincke replied to a question about GenAI in development, where he clarified that Divinity won't feature any AI-generated art and, furthermore, the studio won't use it to create concept art, either. The statement comes after Vincke came under fire for an earlier interview where he said Divinity devs were using AI for concept art and other early-stage tasks. While he later explained that these AI-generated concepts only served as references for human artists, it seems the team has now changed its tune on this approach. As Vincke now states, Larian will no longer use generative AI in concept art development at all to clear up any confusion or concern around the art's origins.
Vincke went on to say the studio will only include AI-generated assets in future games if it is "100% sure" about where its training data came from and has the consent of those who created this data. The presence of human artists' work in AI training data, often without their knowledge or consent, is one of the key sticking points surrounding the AI art controversy, so Larian only using its own assets to train AI models is a direct response to this concern. Still, any AI-generated assets making their way into a game will likely remain controversial. Sandfall Interactive faced its own backlash over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 containing some AI art that was intended to be a temporary placeholder but not removed until after release.
While Larian may not use AI for concept art going forward, it's not abandoning the technology entirely. Vincke doubled down on the viewpoint that GenAI could improve the speed at which Larian develops and tests iterations of various game elements. According to Vincke, Larian hopes this could lead to "a more focused development cycle, less waste, and ultimately, a higher-quality game." Other developers have expressed similar beliefs. In late 2025, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Director defended Larian's AI usage, saying the technology can save time and help smaller teams create larger, more complex games.
Many Redditors replying to Vincke's comment seemed supportive, expressing relief that Divinity won't feature AI-generated art and thanking the dev for his transparency over how the studio uses the technology. However, not everyone was pleased with it, as others questioned the ethics of using GenAI at all, even with the oversight Vincke described. Some industry insiders have also taken a staunch stance against it, with The Last of Us' Co-Director calling GenAI a "snake eating its own tail" and questioning if one can even call AI-generated assets "art." For now, it seems the technology is here to stay, though how far it will go in game development remains uncertain.
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Franchise
- Divinity
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
