“I wouldn't necessarily say we're looking at a looming full automation, but a really, really drastic shakeup is definitely on the horizon,” says Jen Wayne of the Animation Workers of Ireland.
At least one animation studio in Ireland has started using AI in its animation work, says Jen Wayne, an area coordinator with the union the Animation Workers of Ireland.
At the moment, “It's not capable of fully replacing us,” says Wayne. But fear is growing that some jobs will soon be gone, which makes it difficult to push for better working conditions in an industry that is already precarious, she says.
And the job is likely to change too. “There is a fear that we could be required basically to function as correcting artists for AI-generated images,” she says. So the AI can do 80 percent of the job, and the artist finishes it off to meet the standard.
The union is calling on the government to regulate the use of generative AI soon, to protect animation workers and the arts during this “crazy transitionary period”, says Wayne.
“I wouldn't necessarily say we're looking at a looming full automation, but a really, really drastic shakeup is definitely on the horizon,” she says. “But that dramatic shakeup is going to come at the cost of basically anything worth looking at, listening to, or watching.”
Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh, who recently tabled a private members' motion to the Dáil to protect artists' rights in the era of artificial intelligence, says that the animation artists should be protected under the law.
“They are the people who dreamed up the shape of the character,” he says by phone on Wednesday. “I'd be adamant that animators are artists and they should have the same protection as any other artists.”
The Dáil agreed to Ó Snodaigh’s motion on 14 July on "protecting the copyright of Irish artists in the era of artificial intelligence".
It calls for a major overhaul of copyright law, including barring from the market companies that use AI and do not observe copyright, and says that the government should ensure that state funding for art isn’t spent on AI-produced works, "and that the livelihoods of human Irish artists continue to be supported".
A motion is not binding, though, it simply formally expresses, and puts on record, the opinion of the members of the Dáíl.
By contrast, official government policy, the 2026 National Digital and AI Strategy takes a more positive approach to AI.
It aims to drive the adoption of AI across the economy, teaching AI "literacy" and "skills" to both employers and individuals. "We will put in place the building blocks to harness digital and AI opportunities for competitiveness and continued economic growth," it says.
The animation artists say that, from their perspective, the benefits that would bring appear to be only for the corporations, and not for workers or society.
Not all studios are diving in headfirst, says a spokesperson for the Animation Workers of Ireland. Some studio owners are mindful of the risks of transitioning to using AI. “Some do care about art,” she says.
The area needs to be carefully regulated, she says, and she wants to dispel any myth that AI helps workers. “It seems to be benefitting only the people at the top.”
Workers will suffer as positions are made redundant, in an already precarious industry. “Animation was the safe haven for artists in the past,” she says.
“There is a small, highly skilled pool of really talented artists, says Wayne. “Artists have invested years and years of dedication and practice to hone their skills.”
Studios too have invested heavily in training staff, and the Irish state has put money into the sector as well, she says.
An animation studio is a place that brings artists together to work on a collective vision, says Wayne. If one artist has a weakness in an area, then another steps in, she says. “So that it's a big collaborative venture to produce something worth seeing.”
If the studios can hand the artwork over to AI, then maybe the studio itself doesn’t need to exist, says Wayne. She thinks that AI seriously threatens the quality of artwork that will be produced.
It is dangerous too, in terms of propaganda, if major corporations control the arts, says the union spokesperson.
Elisa Beli Borrelli, representative for Dublin at the Animation Workers of Ireland, warns that studios that heavily invest in AI now could face much higher costs in the future. "It's not even cheaper now," they say.
At the moment, the AI companies are offering the technology at a discount, but at some point they are likely to hike their prices to get a return on their investment, says Beli Borrelli.
By then, the studios that made the switch will be heavily reliant on AI, they say – so it is a risky strategy.
One possible solution, says Wayne, is that the Irish government decide that any use of generative AI is considered outsourcing for tax purposes.
Film companies often base themselves in Ireland due to generous tax breaks for film.
“So there are lots of rules in Irish production law about how to qualify for tax breaks,” says Wayne.
Classifying any use of AI as outsourcing would reduce the benefit to companies of transitioning to AI in favour of human workers.
Wayne says that any transition to AI should be artist-led. So if there is a technology that can help artists in their work, they can request it, rather than company bosses saying it's time to start using this programme.
“Ultimately, the creatives who actually produce the animation should be the voices of when and where AI makes sense in the pipeline,” she says.
A clear definition of what constitutes AI is needed too, says Wayne. For example, as Adobe Photoshop increases its AI offering, at what point does a photoshopped image become AI-generated?
Wayne says that universal income for artists can assist artists to continue to produce art, if the market shifts towards AI.
“But it's just one part of a much larger puzzle that's going to involve lots of industrial relations, lots of negotiation, lots of collaboration between different groups,” she says.
Michael Lanigan
Artists are often pressurised to sign away their rights, says Ó Snodaigh. He thinks legislation should be introduced to ensure that they are protected.
If someone can manipulate an existing cartoon and re-release it, they are effectively stealing from the artist, he says. “Where did the original artwork come from?” he says. “That is what we are trying to protect.”
In his contribution to the Dáil, Ó Snodaigh said state agencies should stop using AI instead of human artists and pointed out that An Post released an AI-designed stamp, and Údarás na Gaeltachta held an AI film competition.
The Department of Enterprise didn’t respond in time for publication to queries sent on Tuesday asking about the issues raised by animation artists, including how the transition to AI tends to benefit corporate entities rather than workers.
The announcement of the new National Digital and AI Strategy said that, "The Government recognises that the evolution of AI technologies brings new risks and challenges more broadly, including potential job displacement, as well as safety and privacy risks, and is committed to timely, robust and comprehensive responses as challenges arise."
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