Pixar’s Creative Chief Labels AI “Blah Average”, Calls for Human Spark
Pixar’s Creative Chief Labels AI “Blah Average”, Calls for Human Spark
Pixar's Pete Docter shares his views on AI, calling it 'bland' on Mike Birbiglia's podcast. Explore the debate on job security in Hollywood amid rising AI technology.
Pete Docter, the chief creative officer of Pixar, recently stated on comedian Mike Birbiglia's "Working It Out" podcast that he has not been impressed by AI thus far, describing it as "bland."
"AI seems like it is the least impressive blah average of things," he said.
In Hollywood, AI is a topic that causes anxiety. The technology's detractors fear that it may lead to the loss of jobs in the entertainment sector. It was one of the causes of the nearly five-month strike by unionized writers in 2023. On the other hand, proponents of incorporating AI, such as director James Cameron, think it could reduce the cost of making movies.
Although Docter stated that AI is "troubled" everyone, he does not believe that it will eliminate the need for humans in the animated filmmaking process. "Elio," Pixar's 29th animated film, debuted in theaters on June 20.
"If you look back in time, the number of hand-drawn animators that were really brilliant was in the dozens," Docter said. "A very small number of people who could draw well enough. Understood the dynamic of movement. Character acting. Had the right sensibilities."
He claimed that computers made animation more accessible, allowing anyone to become an animator without needing to be a "brilliant draftsperson".
"I still have to have performance and timing, but one of the heavy lifts has been done by the computer," he said.
According to Docter, AI, like computers, may be able to simplify some of the more laborious animation-related tasks.
He remarked, "I was wondering whether AI will continue to help us lift some of the heavy burdens that we have to carry as animators and maybe put the focus more on the performance."
According to Docter, animators will be able to concentrate on their creative work in the future as AI takes over repetitive tasks. According to him, AI could alleviate significant workloads for the Story and Character departments.
However, he cautioned against considering AI to be a replacement for human creativity. Back in March, he stated, "It doesn't create anything new," characterizing AI as a "weird amalgam" of the content it receives from. According to him, the creative process needs to be led by storytellers rather than algorithms.
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