Baldur’s Gate 3 Director Swen Vincke recently opened up about his thoughts on AI usage in game development. Read on to learn more about his stance and behind-the-scenes look at BG3’s development.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Director Shares His Thoughts on AI Usage in Game Development
Vinke Says AI is a "Tool That Will Help Us Do Things Faster"
During an interview with IGN, Swen Vinke, the director of Baldur’s Gate 3, delved into the intricacies of the game's development. When the conversation veered toward the role of AI in game development, Vinke stated that AI is a "very large subject." He emphasized that while "under criticism is generative AI," there are "a whole bunch of other things where you really want AI to be busy in your process."
Vinke's perspective on AI is "really straightforward," describing it as a "tool that we use to help us do things faster." He stresses that there’s "so much work" workload involved in game development, expressing that they’d be "happy to take assistance from anything."
Nonetheless, he firmly asserts that AI can "ever replace a creative side of things and I can put money where my mouth is."
Vinke reaffirms his stance by stating that rather than relying on AI tools like Midjourney, Larian studios opted to expand its team by hiring 15 additional concept artists.They also refrained from utilizing AI-generated dialogue via ChatGPT.
However, Vinke acknowledges the potential "usage of generative AI" in specific contexts. He points out that such AI has a place in "reactive games," so that developers can "complement what's there already." He advocates for exploration in this direction, emphasizing its potential to "make better RPGs."
In his final remarks, Vinke underscores his belief that AI should serve to enhance elements already created by artists, and dismisses the notion of NPCs being fully generated by AI.
