Netflix Taps AI to Generate Anime Backgrounds Rather Than Hire Humans

Netflix is facing backlash online for using an AI program to draw the backgrounds for an anime short film, instead of hiring human animators.

On Tuesday, Netflix Japan posted(Opens in a new window) The Dog & The Boy, and said the project is meant to be an “experimental effort” to help the anime industry address its ongoing labor shortage. 

The three-minute film comes from Wit Studio, which is known for producing the Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga anime series. The studio tapped an AI program from Japanese company Rinna to generate the background images throughout the anime short—and the results are impressive. The backgrounds seamlessly fit alongside the animated characters, underscoring the potential for AI to handle a significant part of the anime workload. 

But despite the project’s intentions, users on social media were quick to criticize Netflix for allegedly finding an excuse to outsource the work to an AI, rather than hiring a human animator. “I know a ton of animators looking for work if you guys are struggling to find them (are you looking very hard?),” tweeted(Opens in a new window) the English record producer DJ Fresh.  

Others are pointing out(Opens in a new window) Japan’s labor shortage for anime workers can be blamed on long hours and abysmally low pay, which can amount to as little as $200 per month(Opens in a new window).

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— b l u e s c r e e n (@TylerEllis18) February 1, 2023(Opens in a new window)

In its defense, Wit Studio still used human artists to help construct the background images. The credits to the film show the process: A human artist drew the initial layout to the background, which was followed up with the AI program developing a second and third draft. A human artist then revised the AI-created background images for the final art. 

In a blog post(Opens in a new window), Netflix Japan also described the AI program as a more of a tool that could allow human animators on a production focus on other tasks. “As the shortage of human resources in the animation industry is seen as an issue, we hope that this initiative will contribute to the realization of a flexible animation production process,” the company wrote.

Still, the project provides another example of how AI-based image and text generators could replace some forms of white-collar work. Other programs such as ChatGPT have already shown they can write competent essays and cover letters, and even fix bugs in computer code.