The Animaze 2026 festival in Montreal (September 17-19) debuts a forum dedicated to artificial intelligence in animation. With masterclasses by Bill Plympton and Johnnie Semerad, the event addresses how AI complements creativity, not replaces it. In a city with more than 235 animation and VFX studios, the dialogue becomes essential to define the future of the industry.
AI as a Tool: Evolving Workflow and Narrative 🎨
The technical discussion will focus on practical cases: from automatic storyboard generation to assistance in rigging and compositing. Semerad, known for his work in visual effects, will debate the impact of AI on narrative structure, proposing a model where the artist supervises every creative decision. Plympton, a champion of hand-drawn animation, will show how to integrate these tools without losing the personal touch. The forum aims to chart responsible adoption paths, prioritizing human control over the final result.
Robots Animating, Humans Getting Paid: The New Division of Labor 🤖
Of course, while attendees discuss whether AI can tell stories, Montreal studios are already using it to animate backgrounds and clean up frames. No one fears that an algorithm will sign a film, but everyone wants to know if they'll be the ones making more coffee. The irony: Bill Plympton has been drawing alone for decades, and now it turns out he's the role model. Maybe AI isn't coming to replace artists, but to give them time to procrastinate with elegance.