Netflix is criticised for replacing anime artists with artificial intelligence
Streaming service tried to replace cartoon designers with a neural network
Netflix is facing criticism on social media for utilising artificial intelligence to produce an anime instead of hiring human artists.
The recently released three-minute sci-fi anime short, The Dog & The Boy, follows a child whose robotic dog awaits his return from war. While the plot is not particularly unique, what sets this anime apart is its use of AI-generated background art instead of hand-drawn artwork.
A rough outline was initially drawn by hand before being input into an AI art generator and then subsequently revised by a human artist.
According to a tweet from Netflix Japan, the utilisation of AI art generation in the production was characterised as an experiment aimed at addressing a purported labour shortage in the anime industry.
This statement has elicited a prompt from Twitter users who argue that there is no actual labour shortage, but rather a scarcity of businesses that are willing to offer suitable working conditions and a livable wage. Reportedly, the median average income for the most talented anime professionals in 2019 was merely $36,000, while those at the lower end of the spectrum may earn as little as $200 each month.
After thousands of quote retweets and replies, Netflix Japan’s post has sparked widespread agreement that their replacement of human artists with AI art generation is an objectionable move.
Moreover, the consequences of Netflix’s AI experiment are even more foreboding, given that its American counterpart, Netflix Animation, let go of 30 staff members in September 2022 to optimise production.
