Hayao Miyazaki Calls AI CG Animation 'An Insult to Life Itself'

On November 13, Hayao Miyazaki starred in a special about his upcoming CG animation film Kemushi no Boro on NHK titled Owaranai Hito - Miyazaki Hayao (The Man Who Is Not Done: Hayao Miyazaki). The 50 minute documentary included a scene where Miyazaki and former Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki attend a presentation by CGI team at Dwango Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The presentation is lead by Dwango president Nobuo Kawakami, a producer-in-training at Studio Ghibli and a board director at Hideaki Anno's Studio Khara.

The presentation shows Dwango's recent experiment with an animation program that learns via artificial intelligence. In this case, a human model was used and the program learned to make it move forward and at a more rapid rate while ignoring concepts like 'pain.' The result was an unsettling, zombie-like creature. Miyazaki was immediately repulsed, calling the animation "an insult to life itself."

Miyazaki continues to dress down the presentation and the animation's lack of empathy, referencing a friend he has who is physically disabled.

Miyazaki has never been shy at his distaste for technology, sharing opinions on iPads and confessing he didn't even own a computer in 2008. He previously stated that while he does not think that hand drawn animation is better that CG animation, he believes the former is dying out because current animators are not talented.

In spite of his earlier retirement announcements, Miyazaki confirmed that he will continue animating shorts for the Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. The 12-minute "Kemushi no Boro" short will not be completed for about another year and will be screened exclusively at Ghibli Museum. Miyazaki planned the story for almost 20 years and describes the short as "a story of a tiny, hairy caterpillar, so tiny that it may be easily squished between your fingers."​

 

Miyazaki is still as cut-throat as ever. He showed zero hesitation in voicing his opinion, even knowing it could be hurtful. Again at the same time the man has been in the business for decades. He has the experience and it shows because that AI doesn't pair with his story. Where the AI stands now the movements didn't feel or look natural, even being unnatural it was rather off putting.

Now I'll admit I feel bad for the guys giving this presentation. I don't think it should prevent them from moving forward with this concept because it could do a lot for the industry as a whole. Slowly but surely were becoming a more technologically based society where machines are replacing the work of man. It does sadden me though as a part of us is being lost in the process.

This here is just my opinion but I'm actually for this concept. I grow tired of hearing how poorly these Japanese Artist are being treated. They work outrageous hours for next to nothing barely making ends and sacrificing their health in the process. I'm not saying the AI should fully take over, but if it could lessen the task for these workers even by a slight margin it would be great to see. Basically this tangent was brought on by how aggravated I am by Shueisha & Shonen Jump. It's like every time I turn around another author is being hospitalized or having to take off due to a illness. I'm rarely seeing that with other companies. ​