Larian Studios has reassured fans by ruling out the use of generative AI for concept art in its upcoming game, emphasising a cautious approach to AI integration while addressing industry concerns over transparency and creator rights.
Larian Studios has sought to defuse a public backlash over its use of generative artificial intelligence after comments by co‑founder and game director Swen Vincke prompted concern among fans and creators. Speaking in a Reddit AMA, and following media reporting, Vincke clarified that the studio will not include any generative AI–produced art in its forthcoming Divinity title and that it has “decided to refrain from using genAI tools during concept art development” to remove doubt about the origin of visual assets. According to the studio’s statement, Larian will only consider AI‑generated in‑game assets if the models are trained on data the company owns or where consent from creators is explicit. [1][4][6]
The company’s machine learning director, Gabriel Bosque, expanded on that position, describing machine learning as an efficiency tool rather than a creative replacement. Bosque told fans the studio uses ML to cut down on repetitive, “mechanical legwork” so creatives can focus on higher‑value work, and emphasised a commitment not to train voice models on actors’ recordings: “we explicitly committed in our actor agreements to not using the recordings to train or build AI voice modelers,” he wrote, noting the sensitivity of artificially generating an actor’s voice even with compensation. Industry context shows similar caveats elsewhere in games development, where firms describe AI as productivity‑enhancing while facing scrutiny over transparency and labour impacts. [1][3][2]
Vincke’s remarks to Bloomberg that prompted the backlash, which suggested generative AI had been used to “explore things” such as placeholder text and concept ideation, appear to have been the root of fan unease. In subsequent posts and interviews he walked back any implication that the studio was “pushing hard” to replace artists, telling IGN the company was “neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI.” That damage‑control response was reinforced on social platforms where Vincke reiterated that artists remain central to Larian’s creative process. [5][1][6]
The controversy highlights a broader industry divide. Some developers and executives cast AI as a benign accelerator of routine tasks, arguing it enables faster iteration and more frequent live‑service updates; others, including high‑profile creators, warn that generative models cannot replicate the depth of human artistic intent. Troy Baker gave a measured defence of the technology’s place in the ecosystem, arguing that generative AI will “drive people to authentic experiences” because audiences will seek out art grounded in human experience, while critics like Bruce Straley have been explicit in their opposition. These competing perspectives feed the debate over where to draw lines between experimentation and production use. [2][3]
Practical details about Larian’s internal use of generative tools mirror the cautious stance: industry reporting and the studio’s own disclosures indicate AI has been used for early‑stage ideation, exploring references, producing rough visual outlines, polishing internal presentations and generating placeholder text, but not for finished, ship‑ready assets. Larian’s workforce and hiring data underline the point: the studio employs dozens of concept artists and other creatives and says it is not reducing headcount as part of AI adoption; the planned development cadence for Divinity remains human‑led and lengthy. Nevertheless, fans and some creators remain unconvinced, citing fears over attribution, training data provenance and the potential normalisation of AI in creative pipelines. [6][4][1]
The studio’s public clarifications also touch on disclosure and consent trends elsewhere in the sector. Platforms such as Steam have begun requiring developers to disclose generative AI use on storefront pages so consumers can understand how AI features appear in a product, and other studios have faced questions over paid‑actor voice models and opaque training practices. Larian’s pledge to secure ownership or consent for any dataset used to produce game assets, and its explicit contractual protections for actors’ recordings, place it among developers attempting to balance experimentation with protections for creators. Whether that balance will satisfy sceptics remains an open question. [4][1][2]
For now, Larian frames its approach as iterative: using state‑of‑the‑art ML tools internally to speed idea generation and reduce mundane tasks while drawing clear “lines in the sand” around any asset that might appear in the finished game. The studio’s moves , public reaffirmations, contractual guarantees about voice recordings, and an explicit moratorium on genAI in concept art development , are designed to restore trust after a brief but intense backlash that has become one of the more prominent industry flashpoints over AI and creative labour. How other studios respond, and whether community expectations translate into lasting policy changes on training data and disclosure, will determine whether this episode is a momentary flare‑up or a turning point for game‑industry practice. [1][5][3][2]
##Reference Map:
- [1] (Polygon) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 6
- [2] (PC Gamer) – Paragraph 2, Paragraph 6
- [3] (GamesRadar) – Paragraph 2, Paragraph 7
- [4] (Gadgets360) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 5
- [5] (NintendoWire) – Paragraph 3, Paragraph 7
- [6] (Windows Central) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 5
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative is recent, with the earliest known publication date being December 16, 2025. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The content has not been republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks. No earlier versions show different figures, dates, or quotes. The article includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. No similar content has appeared more than 7 days earlier. ([kotaku.com](https://kotaku.com/larian-gen-ai-divinity-baldurs-gate-3-rpg-2000653912?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The direct quotes from CEO Swen Vincke and other Larian Studios representatives are unique to this report. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating potentially original or exclusive content. No variations in quote wording were found.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from reputable organisations such as Kotaku and Bloomberg, lending credibility to the information presented. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high reliability score.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative are plausible and align with known industry practices. The report lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which is a concern. The narrative includes specific factual anchors, such as names, institutions, and dates, enhancing its credibility. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic. The structure is focused and relevant, without excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is professional and resembles typical corporate or official language.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent, with original quotes from reputable sources, and presents plausible claims with specific factual anchors. The lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets is a minor concern but does not significantly impact the overall assessment.
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