ManVsMachine – Will AI Take My Job as an Animator? #PurposeMonth

It was one of those eventualities we all saw on the horizon, but we didn’t think it would creep up on us all so fast. AI has not just changed the playing field for copywriters and designers; it’s slowly seeping into the world of animation too. It’s already infiltrated arguably the biggest players in the animation game (Disney) and that sets a worrying precedent.

Last year, there was a major uproar when Disney admitted using AI to not only generate the opening credits for its underwhelming Secret Invasion show but to generate intricate flame effects on a main character in its animated film Elemental. Even Aardman Animations, a company renowned for its literal human touch, has apparently started to “tinker” with AI according to Richard Beek, senior producer at the studio.

Beek remains optimistic about its potential benefits, believing it could help to enhance creativity by minimising painstaking tasks. “A good creative company,” he says, “could use it to have more projects at any one time. You can take tasks that have to be done, but aren’t vital tasks, off the animators’ hands.”

Marc Posch

Theo James, meanwhile,  VFX supervisor at Framestore, feels that this is only the latest in a long line of technological leaps that the industry continues to adapt to. “There haven’t been mass redundancies because everything has become 10 times faster,” he argues. “Certain departments might get smaller but other departments get bigger.”

There are shots from both sides when it comes to the opportunity or opposition that AI poses the role of animator.  It’s a new frontier that’s both exhilarating and unsettling for professionals in the field. As the technologies continue to evolve, animators are facing a landscape that could drastically alter their career trajectories, requiring them to adapt to these new waves or sink beneath them for good.

The AI Transformation in Animation

We’re not just talking about polishing the edges anymore. Generative AI is now capable of automating aspects of the animation process such as generating backgrounds, crowd scenes, and adding realistic textures and lighting. Of course, this naturally speeds up production, which can only be a good thing. At what cost though?

The whole point of animation is it’s meant to be a labour of love. Look at the stop-motion film Mad God released last year. 30 years in the making for a single hour-long feature with zero dialogue. The effort behind it is staggering and you can feel that effort and those hours in every frame. Could the same be said of any piece of animation created with AI?

André Pinheiro

That being said, no matter how advanced it might get, the technology is not poised to usurp creative roles entirely. AI excels at automating repetitive tasks and enhancing productivity, but when it comes emotional depth, intuition, and genuine creativity​, it falls spectacularly short.

For example, while AI can animate faces and sync lip movements, capturing the nuanced expressions that convey deep human emotion remains a challenge​.

Economic and Job Market Shifts

The economic implications of AI integration are also decidedly mixed. On one hand, AI can help smaller studios and freelancers reduce costs and increase efficiency by automating mundane tasks. On the other, there is a legitimate concern about job displacement. As AI takes on more responsibilities, the demand for traditional animators could diminish, affecting employment opportunities within the industry​.

The integration of AI in animation also opens up new job titles and roles. There is a growing need for professionals who can oversee AI operations, integrate these technologies into creative workflows, and manage the output of AI tools​. This shift underscores a vital trend: as AI changes the landscape, there is a simultaneous emergence of new opportunities for those willing to adapt.

Upskilling and Collaboration

For most animators, above all else the rise of AI represents a call to upskill and adapt. Learning to work alongside AI tools can enhance your capabilities and allow you to focus on the more creative aspects of animation such as storyboarding, character design, and collaborative discussions with clients and creative teams​.

Being able to display a deeper understanding of AI can also position animators at the forefront of the industry and earmark them as forward-thinkers.

The Future of Animation with AI

Looking ahead, the collaboration between AI and human animators seems inevitable so whether it’s a good thing, a bad thing or a little from column A and a little from column B is largely irrelevant.

Santosh Parate

The key is finding the sweet spot that balances the convenience of AI without allowing it to overwrite the imperfections. Because once we cross that Rubicon where AI-engineered perfection becomes industry standard there’s no going back.