Animation : Empowering Animators with AI: A New Approach from Cartwheel by Ashley Renee Smith

I can see this being used for prototyping, previz, and indie productions. The problem with A.I. is that, even though it might understand the 12 principles of animation in a grammatical sense, it does not know how to apply these principles to the animations it creates.

Ashley Renee Smith - thank you for sharing this article. I have mixed emotions on AI. I believe it's my creative mind and business mind being at a consent battle. I do believe AI can, will and has helped countless studios, animators, novice individual create an animation. A tool helpful for someone like myself who can't draw (for 2D animation) and truly doesn't have the time to sit and learn a new software. Being able to utilize AI to help create, cut expense, etc definitely is a plus BUT it's a tool. I don't believe it will take away from creatives, I do believe it will challenge individuals to either refine their skillsets and to truly become masters but I do believe AI to be a tool. It can create sure.. but adding the heart, emotion, soul and life into an animation cannot be generated through algorithms, numbers and metrics.

Patrik Gyltefors, I agree. That gap between understanding the theory and applying it in a meaningful, emotive way is where human artists still hold the line. AI might be able to mimic the form, but it can’t replicate the intuition and intentionality that animators bring to movement, timing, and storytelling. That’s why I think tools like this have a lot of potential in previz and rapid prototyping, but they still need a human hand to guide the soul of the work. Thanks for sharing your insight. I’d love to hear if you’ve tested any of these tools yet or found ways they can complement your creative process.

I really appreciate the way you articulated that tension, Cyrus Sales, it’s something so many of us are navigating right now. I think you’re exactly right: AI can be a valuable tool, especially for creators who may not have access to traditional resources, time, or training. But like any tool, it’s the hand that wields it that determines whether something resonates. That heart, that soul; that’s something only a human storyteller can bring. I also love your point that AI might actually push artists to refine and elevate their skills. The craft will still matter. The vision will still matter. And community spaces like this one will be essential as we all learn how to integrate new tools without losing what makes the work meaningful.

Ashley Renee Smith, I do use A.I. for research, as it is very efficient in extracting and summarizing information. Also, just as you might pull out a dictionary and put your finger on a random word to get ideas for a story, you can use A.I. to generate lists of random words, and flesh these out into potential story ideas. I plan to use Respeecher for voice replacement for an indie project. When it comes to animation, as is the topic of this thread, I am interested in exploring using it for motion tracking. Though, as Cyrus mentioned, there is a consent battle, especially weighing what is can do to help my workflow, against what damage it might inflict on traditional artists.

I'm still mulling over how to incorporate AI into my workflow, or if I bother at all. I am not interested in it generating creative work. Considering that AI has been in use in some way for most creative software, I would be remiss not to explore its assistance in production. I would hope for it to use my work as its reference when assisting with backgrounds, animation, poses, etc. I am using it for production planning, marketing research and so on.

Bob Harper and Patrik Gyltefors, I agree with you both that research and planning are the areas where I see AI actually helping. The tools that make your administrative, prep, and organizational work easier make the most sense to me and seem to be the most reliable at this stage of the technology.