What Educators Can Learn from the AI-Generated Intro to Marvel's Secret Invasion
Artists have been using software to create animation for decades. Is this time any different?
The opening credits for Marvel's Secret Invasion are generating controversy as creative professionals stare down a slippery slope and ask, “Is this the end of human-generated art as we know it?”
As a designer, I understand the concern, but I think the key part of this sentence is, “as we know it.” Method Studios, the company that created the show’s intro, has explicitly stated that, “No artists’ jobs were replaced by incorporating these tools; instead, they complemented and assisted our creative teams.” (See this Screen Rant article for details.)
Granted, that’s a statement from the company, not the artists who worked on the project. However, I think there’s plenty of historical evidence to support the idea that AI-infused software will be more of a ladder that helps humans reach new heights than a Terminator that eliminates the innate human desire to climb.
Is this the new dancing baby?
The Secret Invasion credits look unique because most folks haven't seen a lot of AI-generated animation yet. The same was true for 3D animation in the '90s. Whether you first discovered the dancing baby animation below when it made the rounds online in 1996 or you saw it in early 1998 when it appeared in an episode of Ally McBeal, it was popular because it was something we hadn’t seen before.
Today, the dancing baby would struggle to get a dozen likes on TikTok because it’s no longer novel. It has nostalgic value, but to a generation raised on Pixar movies, it feels dated and cheap. The same could be said for the talking baby in the E-Trade ads and the numerous other creative works and ads the dancing baby inspired.
How can artists compete?
Designers and developers will continue to find work if they're willing/able to push the limits of what new tools can do. Saying that AI-infused animation will kill jobs feels a bit like saying that Adobe’s Creative Suite killed jobs. There’s definitely a grain of truth there and people have a right to be concerned, but new jobs will emerge. The question is how can we best support people who need to upskill or pivot?
Questions for Educators and Students
As AI-generated content becomes more pervasive, how might creative professionals adapt to stay ahead of the curve?
How might the ability to synthesize aspects of the old and the new be more valuable in an AI-infused future? How might experience with low-tech art forms like calligraphy or claymation help artists create something eye-catching in a world saturated with AI-generated content?
Can you think of past examples when disruptive technology led to innovation? How did individuals and society adapt? Were those changes positive or negative?
In the end, the role of artists and other innovators is to create what’s next. AI can only replace human creativity if we allow it to because we (humans) get to decide what good art and real originality and true innovation look like. The minute AI catches up, we always have the opportunity to stay one step ahead by rolling our eyes and simply saying, “Been there. Seen that.”