The renowned Tim Burton recently spoke with the Independent about many elements of his diverse filmmaking career, but it appears that the notion of AI replacing animators and directors made the Beetlejuice filmmaker particularly upsetting.
"They had AI do my versions of Disney characters!” the director told the Independent. “I can’t describe the feeling it gives you. It reminded me of when other cultures say, ‘Don’t take my picture because it is taking away your soul.’
Burton is alluding to a Buzzfeed post in which AI image-generation software was asked to apply Burton's unique visual aesthetic to Disney animated films such as Moana, Pocahontas, and others.
While Burton admitted to the Independent that some of the artwork was actually “very good” there was still something very unnerving about the article.
Said Burton, “What it does is it sucks something from you. It takes something from your soul or psyche; that is very disturbing, especially if it has to do with you. It’s like a robot taking your humanity, your soul.”
Even the most ardent AI enthusiast would be unsettled to witness a computer effortlessly churn out renderings that are equal to or surpass what a person would spend hours or weeks to accomplish. It would surely be a blow to an artist's ego and cause them to question all they had done. Unfortunately, such a reality looks to be not far off.
While Burton is known for his Batman films starring Michael Keaton, not many know that he got his start working at Disney on films such as Tron, The Black Cauldron, and The Fox and the Hound.
In closing out the interview Burton looked back on his Disney days, where he was an animation studio peer alongside the likes of Brad Bird, John Musker, and John Lassiter.
"I guess it’s like Burbank, only worse... it’s like a family. I can look back and recognise the many, many positives of working there, and all the opportunities I’ve had. I can acknowledge each and every one of those very deeply, and very positively. Equally, on the other side, I can identify the negative, soul-destroying side. As in life, it’s a mixed bag."
It is conceivable that AI technology will grow increasingly more potent and sophisticated as it advances. This could inspire the development of ever more imaginative and realistic animations.
However, it's crucial to keep in mind that AI is still just a tool, and humans must still make decisions about how to utilize it. AI will always require the direction and imagination of human animators since it is incapable of producing art on its own.