Larian Studios CEO Responds to AI Controversy Amid Backlash

Larian Studios’ CEO Swen Vincke has quickly addressed a recent Bloomberg report claiming that the studio behind Baldur’s Gate 3 is “pushing hard” for AI integration in its projects. In light of the backlash that followed these claims, Vincke emphasized on Twitter that the situation is being blown out of proportion. “Holy fuck, guys, we’re not ‘pushing hard’ for or replacing concept artists with AI,” he stated.

The Bloomberg piece, published on December 16, suggested that under Vincke’s leadership, Larian has been actively exploring the use of generative AI. It also noted that AI-generated assets would not feature in their upcoming game, Divinity. In further comments provided to Bloomberg, Vincke reiterated his perspective, saying he has yet to see AI truly “accelerate things.”

On Twitter, Vincke clarified, “I was specifically asked about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I responded that we explore it for brainstorming. I never said we use it to create concept art—the artists do that, and they are indeed world-class.”

In a related statement to IGN, he likened AI tools to “Google and art books,” explaining, “During the early ideation stages, we use it as a rough outline for composition, which we then replace with original concept art. There’s really no comparison.” He elaborated that Larian is focused on understanding cutting-edge machine learning as a creative tool designed to improve workflows for artists, leading to better games overall.

While acknowledging the strong feelings surrounding this topic, Vincke stressed that the conversation is ongoing within the studio, aimed at enhancing everyone’s work experience rather than diminishing it. In a separate but relevant thread, a former environment artist from Larian expressed their concerns on Bluesky, stating, “I loved working at @larianstudios.com until AI. reconsider and change your direction, like, yesterday.”

Despite the initial controversy, Larian continues to leverage AI in various aspects of development, yet any AI influence will not be present in-game: “Everything is crafted by human actors; we write everything ourselves.”

For now, it seems Larian is navigating the murky waters of AI implementation, trying to balance innovation with a commitment to their artistic roots.