Days away from the resumption of contract negotiations that will help determine how animation firms can use generative artificial intelligence in the next few years, the Animation Guild has released a report detailing the threat that the technology poses to its members.
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“ Critical Crossroads: The Impact of Generative AI and the Importance of Protecting the Animation Workforce, ” produced by the union’s member task force dedicated to AI, finds that generative AI applications and programs create outputs “that can target most of the job categories of TAG members, spanning from design to production, animation to scriptwriting.” Currently, 3D models, full-color 3D sets, blue sky concepts and full-color renderings are all work that can be produced with the technology in its current state.
According to a survey of company executives commissioned by the Animation Guild and the Concept Art Association earlier this year, 78 percent of companies doing animation work will be “early adopters” of generative AI in the next three years. Fifty-one percent of firms anticipate using the technology to create 3D assets, while 41 percent expect to employ it to generate 2D artwork. About one-third anticipate using generative AI in their productivity organization and management strategies, while one-quarter foresee using it to generate film and TV scripts.
The report states that entry-level positions will be most at risk for disruption, by consolidation or elimination in the near future. “AI systems are likely to disproportionately affect those
from less affluent backgrounds and underrepresented communities who have traditionally used these roles as a means toward economic mobility,” the document adds.
The report arrives at a strategic point for the union, as the Animation Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers remain deadlocked on the issue of AI in their ongoing contract negotiations . The parties are set to return to the bargaining table Monday.
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In Thursday’s report, the Animation Guild affirmed that tackling generative AI is its top priority in those talks. Per the union, an AI survey of its members conducted in March found that 100 percent of respondents supported adding provisions to the union contract barring the use of generative AI from displacing members’ work. Eighty-seven percent sought to prohibit employers from using unionized work to train generative AI systems, while 75 percent wanted to institute staffing minimums and employment duration minimums to offset any job disruption caused by generative AI.
Beyond fighting for strong contract provisions in this year’s negotiations, the union’s AI task force recommended responding to the advancement of generative AI by engaging legislators on the issue, advocating for animation tax incentives that favor human-created work, tracking possible regulation, launching awareness campaigns and considering how the courts will help shape the future of the technology.
“Our research highlights the potential risk that GenAI systems pose to animation workers, underscoring the need to be involved in discussions and decisions about GenAI to protect our rights and the integrity of our work,” the task force stated in the conclusion to its document. Through the union’s efforts at the bargaining table and beyond, the task force stated, “TAG aims to ensure that the industry adapts to AI advancements without sacrificing the rights and jobs of its workers.”
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