Taiki Sakurai, former chief anime producer at Netflix and CEO of Salamander Photos Co., Ltd., mentioned the workload positioned on animators is “inhumane” as he defended the usage of AI in anime manufacturing throughout a panel at CEATEC’s The AI Agent Industrial Revolution: Unlocking Japan’s Potential occasion held in October.
Sakurai mentioned issues from viewers about machines changing human labor overlook the fact that animators are anticipated to hand-draw extraordinarily giant numbers of frames beneath demanding schedules.
In line with him, reactions to AI differ relying on the sphere, including that the manga trade has a stronger “allergic response” as a result of AI can immediately substitute artists.
In animation, he mentioned, the method nonetheless requires turning photographs into transferring sequences, and present know-how can’t routinely generate full animation.
He argued that whereas some followers declare AI is “non-humanitarian,” requiring animators to supply as many as 100,000 hand-drawn photographs can really feel equally non-humanitarian for these working contained in the trade.
“With fewer younger folks getting into the trade on account of declining birthrates, it virtually turns into a darkish joke: by the point AI takes over every part, there won’t be a single individual left working in animation studios,” he added.
Sakurai cited his work at Netflix on a three-minute brief titled The Canine and The Boy, during which the human characters have been hand-drawn, the canine was rendered in CG, and the backgrounds have been created utilizing AI.
Though the brief was launched about three years in the past, he mentioned it precipitated a big controversy on the time, with folks claiming Netflix was making an attempt to get rid of human employees and produce all visuals with AI.
A second installment existed, however its public announcement was delayed on the time due to the backlash.
Sakurai continues to conduct AI-related picture experiments at his present firm. Reflecting on how far the know-how has come, Sakurai famous that “once we made The Canine & The Boy, AI was nonetheless in its infancy. As a substitute of image-based technology, you needed to give command prompts and let the AI output photographs. Then we might decide the picture closest to what we wished and repair the remaining by hand — a really analog workflow.”
One of many tasks the corporate is engaged on includes idea artist Kenichiro Tomiyasu, the place he supplies tough sketch-like drawings. An AI mannequin educated solely on Tomiyasu’s art work then refines these sketches into completed photographs, predicting how Tomiyasu would full them.
The system generates round 100 variations, and Tomiyasu selects the one he feels seems most like his personal work.
Sakurai famous that that is performed with Tomiyasu’s permission and with the understanding that the educated AI mannequin shall be deleted after the venture is accomplished, permitting the artist to soundly deal with the software as a sort of private assistant.
Sakurai mentioned this method permits people to create from zero to 1 and from one to 9, whereas probably bypassing the middleman steps. “The animation trade faces an acute labor scarcity, and that’s the context behind this experiment,” he mentioned.
Sakurai beforehand labored as a scriptwriter at Manufacturing I.G., contributing to titles such because the Ghost within the Shell: Stand Alone Complicated. He later joined Netflix, the place he produced Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, and Pokémon Concierge. In 2023, he based Salamander Photos, the place he at present serves as President and CEO.
Supply: Web Watch
