Why We Need to Talk About “Tools” vs. “Replacements”
If you’ve been on X or Reddit in the last few days, you’ve probably seen the pitchforks coming out for Larian Studios (the creators of Baldur’s Gate 3). The headline? Larian is “pushing hard” on AI. The reaction? Immediate fury.
But if you actually dig into the source—past the rage-bait headlines and into what CEO Swen Vincke actually said—you find a very different story. And honestly? It’s a story I agree with.
The Reality Check
Larian isn’t firing artists to hire ChatGPT. In fact, Vincke had to jump onto social media to explicitly state: “Holy fck guys… we are hiring more artists.”* [Source]
What they are doing is using AI as a tool for ideation. They use it to visualize concepts quickly or flesh out internal presentations. But—and this is the critical part—none of it makes it into the final game. The final assets are 100% human-made.
The “Proof” vs. The “Post”
This situation highlights a massive problem we have right now: Journalism and Social Media are cutting the context.
People hate AI right now, and for valid reasons. We see “AI Slop” flooding our feeds, artists having their work stolen for training data, and corporations using “efficiency” as an excuse to lay off thousands. That anger is justified.
But because of that anger, we’ve stopped reading the fine print. When a studio like Larian says, “We use AI to test ideas faster so our human artists can focus on the good stuff,” the internet hears, “We love AI and hate artists.”
My Personal Take
I stand with Larian on this one. Using AI to speed up the boring stuff—like making a quick reference image for a meeting—is exactly what technology should be. It’s a tool, not a replacement. It’s the difference between using a spell-checker and letting an AI write your novel. One helps you work; the other does the work for you.
Larian is proving you can use modern tech without selling your soul or your creative integrity. They are using it to see “what it can do,” not to cut corners on the art we pay for.
What Do You Think?
Is there a middle ground? Can we accept AI as a behind-the-scenes tool if it means developers can work smarter without losing their jobs? Or has the well been poisoned so badly by “AI Bros” and corporate greed that any use of AI is now unacceptable?
More of this
- IGN: Larian CEO Responds to Divinity Gen AI Backlash
- YouTube: Divinity – Cinematic Announcement
- YouTube: Legendary Drop: “Larian is the enemy now” (Overview Video about the situation)
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