Divinity Dev’s Comments on Generative AI Trigger a Total Social Media Sh*tstorm

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If you were on social media last night, you probably saw a huge controversy sparked by comments made by Larian Studios’ head, Swen Vincke.

During a recent Bloomberg interview, Larian Studios’ head discussed the company’s approach to generative AI. He also revealed that their next game, Divinity, will be turn-based and might be released earlier than anticipated.

The article states that Larian is employing the recently debated technology to create things like basic presentation slides, initial concept designs, and temporary text.

According to the report, Vincke stated that the new Divinity game will not use any AI-generated content, and that all assets are created by people.

Despite the clarification, the quotes quickly spread online, leading the executive to address the situation on X, formerly known as Twitter.

He said:

“Holy f*ck guys, we’re not ‘pushing hard’ for or replacing concept artists with AI.

Our art team currently has 72 talented artists, including 23 who specialize in concept art, and we’re growing! We’re incredibly proud of the original and high-quality artwork they produce.

Someone directly asked me about our concept art and whether we use AI. I explained that we use AI for exploration and brainstorming, but I made it clear that our artists – who are truly exceptional – are the ones who actually create the concept art.

We utilize AI tools for initial research, similar to how we’d use Google or art references. In the beginning stages of a project, AI helps us create a basic compositional sketch, but we always replace it with our own original artwork. The two are completely different.

Jason Schreier, the Bloomberg journalist who first reported on this, has now published the complete record of his discussion with Vincke.

We won’t repeat the whole conversation here – you can find it embedded from BlueSky below – but it doesn’t seem like Larian is currently relying heavily on generative AI. They appear to be simply investigating how it could be used.

The executive repeatedly acknowledged the new technology wasn’t significantly boosting his team’s productivity. However, he warned that failing to adopt beneficial innovations could be fatal for any company in their competitive landscape.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide how important all of this is. However, it’s clear that Larian Studios’ previously strong reputation has suffered today, no matter your perspective.

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2025-12-17 08:38