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Are Animation Studios Using AI? (And Should We Be Worried?)

AI is everywhere. It’s writing articles, generating art, even making music. In fact it wrote this nonsense which we’re spitting out for SEO purposes, mostly.

But what about animation? Are animation studios embracing AI, or is it just another overhyped tech trend?

The answer? It’s complicated.


AI in Animation: The Hype vs. The Reality


If you’ve spent more than five minutes online, you’ve probably seen AI- generated images. Some of them are impressive. Some are funny. Many are awful.


image-of-ai-video-improving

For animation studios, AI is starting to creep in—but not in the way you might think. No one is pressing a button and letting AI churn out a Pixar film (yet). But AI is being used behind the scenes in smart ways, like:

  • Speeding up workflows: AI can help with inbetweening (the frames between key poses), making things smoother and faster.
  • Upscaling old animation: Studios are using AI to restore and enhance classic animations
  • Pre-vis & concepting: AI tools can quickly generate rough visuals to kickstart creative ideas.
  • Lip-sync & dubbing: AI can tweak character animations to match different languages.

These are all useful, but they’re tools—not replacements for artists, animators, and creative teams.


Will AI Replace Animators?


Short answer: No.

Long answer: AI is great for automating repetitive tasks, but animation is more than just moving pixels around. It’s storytelling. It’s emotion. It’s timing, style, and humour. And those things don’t come from an algorithm.

What AI can do is make animation faster. That’s exciting. It means studios can experiment more, test ideas quicker, and (hopefully) spend more time on the creative side of things rather than the grunt work.

But great animation—memorable, emotional, funny, and unique—will always need human hands (and brains) behind it.


The Future: AI + Creativity


AI is going to become a bigger part of animation. There’s no stopping that. But the best studios—the ones making the most exciting work—will be the ones that use AI as a tool, not a crutch.

At Hocus Pocus Studio, we know that good animation isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about great ideas, strong characters, and telling stories that connect with people. AI might help with some of the heavy lifting, but creativity? That’s still very much a human job.