Report: 30% of consumers uncomfortable with GenAI in animation
September 2, 2025
Luminate Intelligence has released its latest Animation & AI Report, offering a detailed look at the impact of generative AI on the animation industry within film, TV and streaming.
The report explores how studios, FX houses and animation companies are experimenting with AI tools amid legal, ethical and creative debates – and how audiences feel about it.
Key findings include:
- Audience attitudes: 46 per cent of film and TV consumers feel uncomfortable with GenAI replicating deceased or living actors, but only 30 per cent feel that way when it’s used for illustrations in animation.
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Industry adoption: Major studios, VFX houses and animation companies are running R&D on AI tools, though most restrict use on client projects due to copyright and legal risks.
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Impact on talent: Animation experts believe concept/storyboard artists (55 per cent), VFX artists (50 per cent), and game developers (43 per cent) will be among the roles most impacted by AI over the next two years.
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‘Ethical data’ (licensed, owned or public domain) is emerging as a key criterion for studios adopting AI models.
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Market shifts: US animated series commissions peaked at 225 in 2021 but fell to 171 in 2024 and just 71 in the first half of 2025. Adult animation, however, remains resilient, with streamers maintaining 40+ annual orders since 2022.
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Global growth: Japan is now the world’s second-largest animation exporter, with anime becoming one of the fastest-growing categories on streaming platforms.
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Franchise leaders: Inside Out 2, The Super Mario Bros Movie and Moana 2 lead as the most successful animated franchises (2022–2025).
Netflix’s recently published AI Gen guidelines – which allow the use of GenAI for ideation but urge filmmakers to keep AI use transparent, avoid copyright risks and ensure this technology never replaces human talent or final creative output – highlight how timely these insights are, as the industry works out how to integrate AI without undermining human creativity.
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