Larian confirms that it will no longer use generative AI for Divinity concept art and writing following backlash

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke has confirmed that the Baldur’s Gate 3 developer will no longer use generative AI for concept art creation on its upcoming title Divinity following backlash from fans over the studio's initial stance on the technology.

The details:

• As confirmed by Vincke in a recent Reddit AMA, Larian has decided to refrain entirely from using generative AI tools when creating any concept art for Divinity. Vincke stated that "to ensure there is no room for doubt, we've decided to refrain from using genAI tools during concept art development. That way, there can be no discussion about the origin of the art."
• The decision comes after the CEO revealed that the studio was using generative AI to "explore ideas, flesh out PowerPoint presentations, develop concept art, and write placeholder text" in an interview with Bloomberg last year. This was met with widespread criticism from fans and fellow industry figures, leading to Vincke taking to X to defend the AI use and clarify that human artists are still crucial to the entire creation process.
• Despite backing away from AI use in creative content, the CEO said that Larian remains open to utilizing generative AI in other areas of development. "We continuously try to improve the speed with which we can try things out," he wrote. "The more iterations we can do, the better in general the gameplay is. We think gen-AI can help with this, and so we're trying things out across departments. Our hope is that it can aid us to refine ideas faster, leading to a more focused development cycle, less waste, and ultimately, a higher-quality game.”