Artificial intelligence, a tool or a threat for Japan's manga industry? • FRANCE 24 English

Summary

In a Japanese animation studio, AI plays a crucial role, streamlining the creative process. AI now generates 60% of the studio's output, from initial sketches to animations, drastically reducing production time. While AI boosts efficiency, it also raises concerns in the manga industry. AI helps speed up manga translation and publication, but it also fuels piracy and copyright violations. One artist faced distress when AI-generated content was used to impersonate her work. As the use of AI grows, Japanese creators and lawmakers are grappling with how to protect intellectual property in an increasingly digital world.

Takeaways

• 😀 AI has become essential for the animation industry in Japan, significantly enhancing efficiency in creating images and animations.
• 😀 AI now handles 60% of the output at a Japanese animation studio, where it generates character images and animations in seconds, saving significant time.
• 😀 Traditional animation methods that used to take days can now be completed in seconds with the help of AI tools.
• 😀 Despite AI's speed and effectiveness, some manual retouching is still necessary to perfect the images.
• 😀 AI tools used by the studio cost around €600 per month and require a combination of 10 different programs depending on the task.
• 😀 The integration of AI allows the studio, which has only six employees, to increase output and improve overall efficiency.
• 😀 AI is playing a growing role in industries worldwide, including the creative sector, such as manga, anime, and video games.
• 😀 While AI speeds up manga publication, it has stirred mixed feelings among fans who fear the loss of traditional art forms.
• 😀 AI-powered translation tools are speeding up the release of manga chapters, reducing translation times from a week to just two days.
• 😀 AI has been instrumental in combating manga piracy by offering faster translations and making official content more accessible.
• 😀 Despite AI's benefits, it has raised concerns about intellectual property violations, with cases of AI-generated plagiarism and unauthorized use of creators' works.

Q & A

How is AI being used at the Animation Studio in Japan?

AI is central to the studio's work, responsible for suggesting images, retouching, and transforming them into animation. It helps speed up the creation process, reducing what would take days to just a few seconds.

What percentage of the studio's output is now generated by AI?

AI is responsible for 60% of the studio's output, significantly improving efficiency in their animation production process.

How much time did the animation studio save by using AI for creating animations?

The time saved is significant. It previously took 5 days to create an animation using traditional methods, but with AI, it only takes 20 seconds.

What is the cost of the AI tools used by the animation studio?

The studio uses 10 different AI programs, which cost about €600 per month, providing a cost-effective solution for their limited workforce.

What are the mixed feelings among manga fans regarding AI?

While some manga fans appreciate AI for faster releases, others worry about the potential loss of traditional manga culture and the artistic work of human creators.

How does AI help with the rapid publication of manga?

AI enables faster translations of manga chapters, allowing them to be released more quickly, sometimes even simultaneously worldwide, in different languages.

How much time does AI save in translating manga chapters?

AI reduces the time required to translate a 30-page manga chapter from a week to just 2 days, speeding up the publication process.

What is one of the ways AI helps reduce piracy in the manga industry?

By speeding up translation and official release times, AI makes it harder for illegal, pirate websites to distribute unauthorized manga content.

How has AI been misused in the manga industry, according to an illustrator?

An illustrator faced the misuse of AI when someone impersonated her online, using AI to create and distribute drawings similar to her work, damaging her reputation.

What challenges do Japanese copyright laws face in protecting creators against AI-generated plagiarism?

Japanese copyright laws currently struggle to protect creators from AI-generated plagiarism. To convict, there must be an exact copy of the original work, which AI makes difficult by generating new, seemingly unique images quickly.