Toei Animation Faces Strong Backlash Over Plans to Use Artificial Intelligence in Anime Production

Toei Animation, a famous Japanese anime studio, recently face criticism for its plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) in making anime. The company shared its plans for the year 2025, which included using AI in important parts of anime production. This announcement come after Toei invested in an AI company called Preferred Networks at the end of April.

In the presentation, Toei explained that it wants to use AI for tasks like creating storyboards, background art, layouts, coloring, and making the frames between key animations. These steps are important for making the animation smooth and lively. Toei showed examples using characters from the popular Precure series, which upset many fans both in Japan and around the world.

Fans and Industry Push Back Against AI Integration

After the criticism, Toei Animation quickly changed the presentation. They took out pictures of the Precure character and made the message more clear about how they use AI now. The new note says AI is not being used for storyboarding, coloring, or in-between animation yet. The only AI picture left is a background made with Scenify, a tool made with Preferred Networks in 2021.

These changes helped calm some fans and experts. Many people were worried that Toei was already replacing human artists with AI, which could hurt the heart and skill of traditional anime. But the studio’s update reassured viewers that popular shows like Dragon Ball and One Piece are still fully made by humans.

Long-Term AI Plans Still on the Table

Toei has not given up on using AI in the future. The part about AI is still in their plan for the year 2026, showing they want to keep learning about this technology. Right now, they only use AI a little, but Toei thinks AI can help make work faster and better later on.

People in the industry have different opinions. Vincent Chansard, an animator who worked on One Piece, shared his thoughts on social media. He said he was confused by Toei’s message and thought it sounded more like an advertisement than a real change in how they make anime. His opinion shows that many animators are unsure about using AI in creative work.

The anime industry has seen many changes before. Companies like KADOKAWA are also using AI for making anime, so Toei’s plan is part of a bigger trend. But the strong reaction to Toei’s news shows that fans really care about the human work behind their favorite shows.

As technology keeps changing, studios will have to find a good balance between new ideas and old ways. For now, Toei Animation says that even if they use AI in the future, the true heart of anime is still made by people.

Source : Toei Animation’s Presentation for Fiscal Year 2025

Written By “Sujoy Bhowmik - India Today Gaming”