As everyone knows, Akira is known as one of the best science fiction films in history, and its animation has inspired millions to this day. So, of course, the debate would erupt on social media when a fan created a remaster of Akira with the help of AI .
Akira – Artificial intelligence recreates scenes from the film and provokes outrage
The whole story starts when Eric Groza took to Instagram to share an AI-derived work he put together at home. He took Akira and applied Adobe's Beta AI anime film looked like on screen.
See this photo on Instagram
So specifically, they wanted to give Akira better formatting for vertical screens, so they connected Akira images to Adobe's emerging software.
“Using Adobe's Beta AI, I was able to stretch the 16X9 backgrounds for a fully vertical shot. Completed in the art style of the original background paintings. I then recomposed the scenes and edited them as an additional video layer. Why is this a big deal? Because this isn't a blurry, out-of-focus photo, it's a distinct style that the AI was able to replicate after a lot of tweaking and error,” Groza shared.
“This is why true artists will learn to love AI. … Brands, productions and animation studios often crop a horizontal image to create a vertical format – which cuts out some of the action and generally reduces image quality. For artists, it means they can step up their style and scale their work. It’s a win-win for the creative individual who wants to do more with their own hands.”
As you can imagine, some tech heads were eager to see how this AI worked, but many others were not happy with the review. The unofficial remaster plays with the intentional layout and composition that Otomo approved when creating Akira. On social media, this short video posted on Instagram has reignited the war between AI and anime, as the industry's caution grows. With divisive working conditions, anime creators are worried about how AI might overtake the industry, and tests like this are leaving a bad taste in their mouths.
Source: Eric Groza
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