Larian Studios Confirms No GenAI Art Will Be Used in Divinity: BG3

Larian Studios recently engaged with fans through a Reddit AMA, addressing key questions about their upcoming game, Divinity, which was unveiled with an eye-catching trailer at The Games Awards 2025.

Following the massive success of Baldur’s Gate 3, a fantasy RPG set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, it seemed nearly impossible for the studio to lose the goodwill of its fanbase. However, co-founder and game designer Swen Vincke’s remarks about the studio’s approach to generative AI sparked some concern.

In response to inquiries about their use of generative AI, Larian clarified that they are not incorporating any AI elements into the game and have no plans to replace team members with AI technology. Vincke’s statement emphasized that while they had explored AI tools for concept art, they would not use generative AI in that capacity to avoid any confusion about the art’s origins.

Vincke stated, “There is not going to be any GenAI art in Divinity. We understand that discussions around AI tools for concept art have caused confusion, so we’ve decided to avoid using generative AI during this phase. This way, there’s no ambiguity about where the art comes from.”

He also highlighted the studio’s commitment to improving their development process. While they believe generative AI can enhance efficiency and speed up iterations, they will only use AI-generated assets if they have full ownership of the training data or consent from the data creators.

This marks a shift from Larian’s earlier stance, which suggested a broader use of generative AI for tasks like developing concept art and writing placeholder text. Now, they are more cautious, ensuring that nothing created with generative AI will be included in the game unless they have clear rights to the data.

Gabriel Bosque, Larian’s machine learning director, further elaborated on how machine learning tools could streamline game development. He acknowledged the challenges of understanding the positive applications of this technology but emphasized its potential to make the development process more efficient, allowing creatives to focus on enriching the game experience.

With plans for over 100,000 voice lines recorded by numerous actors, Larian is keen on using technology to minimize repetitive tasks, freeing up teams to concentrate on their core creative work. However, they remain firm in their commitment to not use actor recordings for training AI voice models, recognizing the sensitivity surrounding the artificial generation of voices.

Larian’s stance against using AI to replicate actors’ voices is a reassuring message for those in the industry, reflecting their dedication to ethical practices. While it’s uncertain if these clarifications will fully satisfy fans, the studio has made an effort to address concerns and refine their approach to generative AI in game development.