As an anime enthusiast, the growth of the media in the past few years has filled me with pride (almost as if I was the one creating them). But recent developments in the industry seem to indicate that the booming anime scenario will face a pretty big setback at a crucial stage.
From people attempting to bring in AI to the animation process, to those who are happily using AI to create Ghibli-like images, the problems are too many to count. But at the centre of it all is AI, something that the world isn’t ready for yet.
While some speculate that the usage of AI will lead to reformative changes in the anime industry, I’m afraid that really isn’t the case. Because if AI is the one taking up artistic fields, what are humans left to do?
Netflix attempts to explore AI subs and subs in a job posting
Netflix has become the new favorite platform for anime watchers with its growing database. It is the biggest anime streaming platform by revenue in 2023, which has opened the streaming service’s eyes to the profit that anime can bring in. However, a recent job posting is nothing if not cautionary.
A job posting dated March 21 on Netflix’s job site reveals that the streaming service is looking for:
an experienced Research Scientist with established track records in generative speech technologies to develop algorithms that power high quality localization at scale.
-Netflix job posting
Netflix states that the team would be responsible for removing language barriers. It indicates that the job would require localized user interface subtitles as well as dubbing of Netflix originals. It is pretty clear that Netflix is actually seeking to use AI for subtitling and dubbing. And the long list of Netflix originals also includes anime like Violet Evergarden, Devilman Crybaby, Baki, Pokemon and plenty of other popular series.
Once AI-generated subtitles and dub rolls in, all of these anime and more would be affected. Just as anime is beginning to dominate international markets, streaming services are choosing to go haywire with AI-generated subs and dubs. Amazon’s Prime Video has already been dabbling in the AI-aided dubbing for selected titles, which has made many anime fans distance themselves from the platform.
Japan’s first AI-generated anime is a warning sign for the future of the industry
AI isn’t restricted to just streaming platforms anymore, it has also infiltrated the anime industry at large. No one, including me, could have anticipated that Japan, the birthplace of anime, would resort to AI-generated anime so quickly. Twins Hinahima is the first anime with over 95% usage of AI technologies.
While the world is in uproar about it, one might expect that the series’ creators would explain themselves a bit better. Instead, director Iizuka Naomichi recently shared that he thinks AI usage would lead to cost-cutting and an increase in opportunities for animators. How do those two thought processes go hand in hand? Don’t ask me.
Additionally, on the issue of AI plagiarizing, the director refuted it by saying that anime production itself is an imitation. It seems like Noamichi is far too enthusiastic about his own project to face the dark reality. If this keeps going, anime fans might have to bid adieu to originality in anime as well as quality.
Hayao Miyazaki’s warnings about AI have been ignored
Hayao Miyazaki has always been an advocate for manual anime creation, a technique that he still uses. In fact, he has voiced his disgust for AI technologies in the anime field plenty of times. When he was presented with a machine-made demo once, he famously said in a documentary:
I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.
-Hayao Miyazaki
The director never wanted to implement such technology into Ghibli works. The grotesque animation made him recoil and his stance against machines in a traditional art field has been pretty clear from the start.
But the recent trend of AI-generated Ghibli image seems like a gut punch to the famous director who has spent his entire life creating an iconic art style. The creator who has always spoken against AI is the one who is targeted by millions of unthinking “Ghibli fans.”
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
