A gentle reminder to my animation colleagues.
The rise of artificial intelligence in animation has sparked impassioned debates among creators, many of whom see it as a threat to the craftsmanship, efforts and livelihoods they hold dear. Concerns about AI are understandable. After all, the onset of artificial intelligence triggers fundamental questions about creativity, artistry and the value of humanity. Yet as we wrestle with these changes, it may help to reflect on history and the ways that innovation — even at its most disruptive — often expands creative possibilities rather than diminishes them.
Consider the blacksmith. Once indispensable to daily life, blacksmiths forged tools, horseshoes and a transportation paradigm that lasted for centuries. Then came the automobile: a technological marvel that rendered traditional blacksmithing less essential. Some blacksmiths lamented the shift, seeing it as a loss of artistry and tradition. But the adept adapted: becoming metalworkers, machinists and artisans specializing in niche crafts. Their skills evolved alongside society’s needs, finding new forms of relevance.
This progression is not unique. Throughout history, each technological advance — whether the printing press, photography, desktop publishing or digital production — has brought with it a mix of anxiety and opportunity. It is a pattern that animators have not only lived through, but thrived through.
Animation has always been intertwined with innovation: leveraging upon photography, Xerox machines, digital inking, and computer-generated imagery. Far from replacing traditional animation, these technologies opened up new avenues for creativity and storytelling. They also made animation more accessible, lowering barriers for artists around the world to experiment and express themselves.
So, where does AI fit into this continuum? Like the technologies that preceded it, AI is not an artist — it is a tool (albeit a pretty powerful one). AI cannot create without input from human minds. It can regurgitate and recombine pre-existing data, assist with repetitive tasks and spark new perspectives on creative exploration, but it cannot replace the core human impulses of storytelling and imagination. AI’s role is to augment, not to supplant (unless you choose to excuse yourself from the creative conversation).
It’s worth noting that we embrace new tools and conveniences in countless aspects of life (not many of us fret over disrespecting launderers with our washing machines, or displacing landscapers with our power mowers). From digital tablets to renderfarms, from software plugins to online collaboration platforms, technology has been a consistent companion in the pursuit of our creative goals. AI may feel more radical because of its potential to automate tasks that were once thought to require human hands and minds, but does that make it fundamentally different from the advancements that animators have already embraced? Or is it simply a major advance in the ongoing evolution of how we create?
This is not to minimize the challenges or dismiss the concerns surrounding AI. Change can be unsettling, and the rapid pace of technological development can be overwhelming. But history suggests that resisting innovation is a futile endeavor. Those who thrive are those who adapt — who find ways to apply new technologies to the benefit of their craft, who tell more powerful stories and bring unique visions to life in ways that weren’t possible before.
AI will not diminish the value of human creativity; it will highlight it. The heart of animation has never been in the tools — whether pencils, pixels or prompts. It has always been in the ideas, the emotions and the humanity behind the work. That is something no technology — no matter how advanced — can replicate or displace.
As we face this new chapter in the evolution of human creativity, let us remember the blacksmiths, who saw their world transformed but found ways to move forward. Progress does not erase precedent. It builds upon it — weaving traditional threads into the fabric of the new. As with every step in the cycle of history, this moment offers a choice: to resist or to evolve.
For all creators, the challenge — and the opportunity — lies in using the technologies of the present to shape the stories of the future.
Kevin is the author of AWN's Reality Bites blog, his musings on the art, technology and business of immersive media (AR, VR, MR) and AI. You can find Kevin's website at www.kevingeiger.com and he can be reached at holler@kevingeiger.com.
