Tim Miller is one of the creators of the hit animated anthology Love, Death + Robots, which premiered its new season on Netflix on May 15, but does he foresee death for creators by AI? While speaking with Comicbook.com, the Deadpool director and owner of animation outfit Blur Studios had a measured answer when asked about A.I. and filmmaking.
Killian asked Miller, “How do you personally feel about AI in animation? Could you ever see it being utilized responsibly in future seasons [of Love, Death + Robots]?” Miller known for directing hits both in live-action and animation, replied: “For sure. I think like a lot people in the industry, I’m both terrified I’m excited about it. But I mean, first of all, you can tell by my love of science fiction that I’m very interested in the future and technology in general…and so I’m definitely not a Luddite.”
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Miller, who was a freelance illustrator early in his career, went on to clarify that he views A.I. as a tool that can help an artists or animator’s workload, rather than replace them altogether. The filmmaker was quick to add, “I don’t want to replace the artists in the process. I want to empower the artists in the process so that we can do more things.”
Miller Believes Responsible Use of A.I. Can Bring Animators Closer to the Art
For Miller, the responsible use of A.I. revolves around lessening grunt work for artists, and facilitating bigger, bolder projects that currently demand unfeasible budgets.
“It shouldn’t take $100 million to make a movie that that really is beautiful with high quality, and it does cost that, or it can cost that, I should say…there’s stories that I can’t tell right now that I love because they’re prohibitively expensive,” Miller claimed. An artist himself, he was quick clarify his want to protect animators and keep them as part of the creative process. “If we can get a little bit of that [grunt work] out of the way and get closer to the art, I think it’ll be better for everybody in the long run.”
Miller’s comments are a steadying, well thought-out addition to the volatile discourse in the entertainment industry around the use of A.I. in storytelling. Incorporating A.I. protections and language in contracts for performers and writers were major tenets of both the actors and writers strike that went on for months in 2023. Though both unions won protections for their members at the strikes’ conclusion, much anxiety still lingers in Hollywood regarding how the technology will impact the already struggling industry.
Miller is the rare studio head who is a creative himself, one who unabashedly advocates for responsible use of artificial intelligence. The technology being used in an ethical manner isn’t a promise across all the studios in entertainment. Come to think of it, animators plagued by existential dread and being made obsolete by A.I. could make for a compelling episode of Love, Death + Robots. Especially if Miller is the one directing it.
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