Divinity: Original Sin and Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has reversed its prior decision to use generative AI for the development of concept art.
During a recent AMA on Reddit, Larian Studios addressed growing concerns around the use of generative AI in game development, confirming that the studio has reversed its earlier position on using such tools during concept art development for future projects, such as the upcoming Divinity title. The clarification came in response to a question from a fan asking how the studio views generative AI across disciplines such as art, writing, and programming.
Studio head Sven Vincke acknowledged the confusion caused by previous comments suggesting that AI tools might be used in the early stages of concept art development. While Larian Studios had clarified that AI-generated imagery would not directly become final concept art or in-game assets, Vincke admitted that the distinction was not clear enough to the community. As a result, the studio has now chosen to completely refrain from using generative AI tools in concept art development altogether.
According to Vincke, the decision was made to remove any ambiguity about the origins of Larian Studios’ artwork. By avoiding generative AI in this area entirely, the studio aims to ensure that there can be no debate over authorship, originality, or ethical concerns related to training data.
That said, Larian Studios hasn’t ruled out the use of generative AI across the rest of its development pipeline. Vincke stated that the studio is constantly looking for ways to increase iteration speed, noting that faster experimentation often leads to better gameplay outcomes. In that context, the technology is being cautiously explored across departments as a potential productivity aid rather than a shortcut to creativity.
The Larian Studios head further clarified that it will not generate creative assets that appear in its games unless it is completely certain about the origin of the training data and has the consent of the creators involved. If generative AI is ever used to produce in-game assets, those models will be trained exclusively on data owned by the studio itself.
