When I was observing others, I also tried to use AIGC tools in my own. I believe that without any understanding of AI, it is impossible to truly judge its strengths and limitations. Therefore, I experimented privately with using AI to assist my animation production process.
I began by using Nano Banana to transform my sketches into a style more like stop-motion animation, before trying out text-to-animation platforms to generate animated content.
Initially, this high efficiency was quite concerning. However, when I actually began fixing the details, I found that AI-generated content often lacked precise control. I had to generate countless images until AI gave me a satisfactory result (and yet every single image generated consumed tokens I had paid for). So, more often than not, I found it easier to achieve a result I was happy with by making adjustments manually rather than endlessly waiting for AI to generate my preferred images.
This made me think that AI can only assist in refining my ideas and creativity; it cannot truly replace my own brain. Those who use AI to create animations will still be animators; those who use AI to assist with IT must still specialize in coding.
Nowadays, many people are spreading the anxiety that AI will completely replace creators, but since I actually started using AI, I have a slightly opposite point of view on this. I believe that AI will not completely replace creative designers, but it certainly gives designers cause for concern. In the past, junior creators might have had to spend a great deal of time on basic tasks; today, however, AI can help with some of the repetitive tasks that are typically assigned to junior designers. This means the industry will expect young designers and animators to possess a greater ability to adapt quickly to the company.
At the same time, guest lecturers from the animation industry invited by the school mentioned that, at least within the European animation industry at present, many people remain cautious or even opposed to AI. Compared to the technology itself, creativity, quality, and personal expression remain the aspects that animation studios and clients value most highly.
Consequently, I began to rethink the direction of my future career. Rather than devoting all my energy to keeping up with updates to AI tools, I need to focus on continuously strengthening my core skills. I have been continuously refining my portfolio and CV, proactively learning about prototyping and interaction logic in UI/UX, whilst also seeking to broaden my future career prospects through networking and industry engagement.
At present, I maintain a stance of ongoing observation regarding AI. I do not wish to reject it entirely, nor do I want my creative work to become wholly dependent on it. To be a designer who stands above AI, I still need to improve my professional skills.
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