In an open letter to the anime industry, a creator and company president explained how the correct use of the artificial intelligence (AI) could help employees under notorious working conditions of the anime industry. The creator and president Masamune Sakakiwho is also a computer graphics (CG) creator, revealed to be the president of an overseas company that produces hand-drawn animation, being a point of contact for Chinese anime companies.
- «For everyone in the anime industry, I haven’t made this public, but in addition to being a CG animator, I’m also the president of an overseas company that produces hand-drawn animation (a point of contact for Chinese anime companies). There has been a lot of criticism about generative AI lately, and I think the misuse of AI is totally unacceptable. However, almost no one in the anime industry talks about how employees at anime companies in China are being exploited due to rigorous unit prices and deadlines due to repeated schedule interruptions.».
- «Please stop saying “we don’t need AI” and acting like this isn’t happening! I wonder if end users (like big anime companies abroad and in Japan), who support the creation of most Japanese anime under incredibly harsh working conditions, really understand. I want it to be known that there are people researching AI with the desire to improve the workplace. While we should ban the misuse of AI, I really hope people stop criticizing AI research. If used effectively, AI has a lot of potential to solve many problems in the anime industry.».
The creator went on to explain how AI could be used as a useful tool as it is enhancing and processing images with increasingly higher resolution. He emphasized that the work of the human artist will not disappear, but suggests that animators can use AI to improve their initial drawings and save time. «AI is more accurate if you give it instructions by drawing them, rather than using prompts».
This call for the incorporation of artificial intelligence in the anime industry has generated heated debate among fans. On the one hand, many industry professionals express support for legal regulation of AI, but are open to its use due to its potential benefits in improving working conditions and production efficiency. However, on the other hand, many anime fans, especially those who value hand-drawn animation, are strongly opposed to the implementation of AI in the creation of anime. They believe that AI intervention could compromise the quality and unique art that characterizes traditional anime.
Overall, the use of AI in the anime industry is a divisive topic that will continue to spark discussions and controversies. As technology advances and develops, it will be interesting to see how the anime industry addresses this issue and whether it eventually embraces AI as an integral tool in the anime production process.
Fountain: Masamune Sakaki on Twitter
