While numerous creatives in the anime industry are critical of artificial intelligence, director and animator Mahiro Maeda takes a much more differentiated position. Last year he spoke openly about the possible opportunities and risks of the technology. We summarize.
AI could transform anime production
As part of HYPER JAPAN 2025, Maeda, who now works for Studio khara and was involved in “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” and “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” explained that his studio is already experimenting with artificial intelligence.
AI is currently not yet able to produce extensive animation works completely independently, but he assumes that this will change in the future. In the long term, the technology could take over parts of the work of animators and be an important support, especially in large projects.
At the same time, however, Maeda emphasized that animation thrives primarily on emotions. Viewers would not only be interested in images, but above all in the feelings and experiences that a work conveys.
Industry could split
The anime industry could therefore develop in two different directions in the future: While some productions continue to rely on traditional craftsmanship and the highest quality, others could increasingly rely on the use of AI to implement larger projects more efficiently.
Maeda drew a comparison to the previously controversial use of CGI, which is now an integral part of anime production.
Remarkably, the director even expressed his belief that AI will one day be able to create moving stories. However, it is not yet possible to judge whether she will ever really be able to recognize what real emotions are and what are not.
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Via CBR
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