Larian recently shared quite a controversial detail about its upcoming game, Divinity, when it confirmed the use of gen AI for the game. Following this confirmation, it didn’t take long for audiences to raise their metaphorical pitchforks, and everyone criticized the studio harshly for supposedly mixing artificial intelligence with the process of creating concept art.
Larian CEO Swen Vincke also stepped in to defend his team, but the damage was already done by that point. Amid the chaos, an old interview from Sandfall Interactive resurfaced, revealing that Clair Obscur: Expedition 3 also used generative AI in some capacity.
Sandfall Interactive COO and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 producer Francois Meurisse confirmed the role of generative AI in the RPG in an interview with El Pais as many as five months ago. However, this statement flew under the radar.
“We use some AI, but not much.” -Francois Meurisse
As many have pointed out, Expedition 33’s Game of the Year victory will likely play a major role in normalizing the use of AI throughout the industry. This discourse is so fascinating because Larian and Sandfall Interactive’s use case is quite similar.
For context, Sandfall Interactive largely used AI during pre-production for the creation of placeholder assets. It is said that none of these were left in the final game, although users did notice one particular AI-generated asset that appeared to have been left behind.
Sandfall Interactive was quick to fix this mistake, but in the broader context, the team got away with its use of the technology largely unscathed. On the other hand, Larian has already received plenty of criticism for employing artificial intelligence during Divinity’s pre-production.
According to Swen Vincke, AI is currently used to explore references during the creation of concept art for Divinity. He states that concept artists are still the most valuable part of the process and will not use the technology to create the art itself.
Of course, this justification has done little to stop the backlash, with many artists still on the fence about the technology interfering with the creative process in the first place. They argue that any use of artificial intelligence dilutes the creativity that is so vital to game creation.
Anyhow, Larian and Sandfall Interactive are far from the only studios to be using generative AI today. Compared to a developer like Activision, their use of the technology is certainly more modest and a lot more acceptable.
