A brand new anime that’s going to be released on Netflix has sparked backlash, more specifically, from the art community. Anime fans aren’t happy that this animated short used AI during production, claiming that this isn’t a huge win for the animation industry that the streaming service hoped for it to be.
The short, titled The Dog and The Boy, is an experimental anime short film produced by Netflix Anime Creators Base, WIT studio, and the AI company rinna inc. According to the streaming service, AI was used to produce background images for the short, as well as to help combat the labor shortage in the anime industry in Japan.
This anime is wholesome and told a beautiful story about a dog and its owner but it also sparked a debate about the use of AI in the animation industry.
According to a press release via the Netflix Japanese newsroom, the producers of the short believe that AI is a useful tool to help creators make something “without being bound by a fixed production method” and would create opportunities for a “wider range of expression.” They have also encouraged the use of AI in the industry, believing that it’s part of the industry evolving with the times.
During the credits, the process of how AI was used in the show was featured. Rather than just using a prompt, it starts with a hand-drawn layout before sending it to the AI multiple times. It then gets a final hand-drawn revision based on what the AI generated. However, it credited the background designer to the AI and “(+Human).” It didn’t name the person who used the program, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
This opened up the discussion of using AI as a tool to help animators in the industry. But at the same time, the way Netflix Japan announced the project made it seem like animators are getting replaced by machines. According to the original tweet, Netflix said that AI was used to help with the labor shortage in the anime industry. Animators and anime fans saw that line and immediately thought that AI would be a replacement and would make entering the industry even harder.
Not to mention, it was reported last year via Animation Magazine, that the streaming company laid off 70 animation positions back in March and has canceled a handful of animation projects. There is now skepticism about Netflix wanting to “help solve the labor shortage” when they got rid of those jobs in the first place.
And most importantly, Netflix is being criticized for using a program, known to steal art from other artists and accused the company of stealing art.
The backlash prompted anime fans to bring out a quote from one of Japan’s best anime directors, Hayao Miyazaki. In a 2016 documentary, NHK Special: Hayao Miyazaki — The One Who Never Ends, Miyazaki said that he can’t watch anything that’s produced by AI since he doesn’t find it interesting. He also believed that animation produced by AI is “an insult to life” since the creator doesn’t understand the amount of work that’s put into creating something artistic.
Miyazaki’s thoughts were also supported by award-winning director, Guillermo del Toro, who quoted the Japanese director in a 2022 interview, according to Variety.
“I can’t watch this stuff and find interesting. Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is or whatsoever. I’m utterly disgusted…
“… I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself”
While Netflix believes that AI is the solution, some of the big names in the industry have made their thought clear since 2016. And their words and wisdom are now used as an argument from both anime fans and artists to stop the industry from pushing forward the use of AI. Yes, it may be a useful tool to generate beautiful images, but it also means that there won’t be many jobs for artists and just shows how those above have no idea the amount of time and effort put in to create something worth watching.
If Netflix is arguing that there is a labor shortage, then perhaps find ways to entice people to come back to the industry rather than replace them with machines.
