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For decades, we've witnessed the remarkable transformation from hand-drawn animations to the mind-blowing world of 3D animation. It's been a journey filled with innovation, pushing the boundaries of what's possible and transporting audiences to realms beyond imagination. But hold onto your seats, because the game is changing yet again. With the dawn of AI-assisted tools, we're witnessing a seismic shift in how animations are crafted and produced.

Now, many hold the belief that AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney exist solely to replace the artists driving the creation of the content we cherish. Yet, that's only part of the narrative. Remember when computers mastered the art of generating in-betweens for two key poses? Just as then, there remains an undeniable need for the artist's touch. AI-assisted tools, instead, empower artists by accelerating the creative process. They handle the mundane, repetitive tasks and mitigate various variables that animators would otherwise spend a significant chunk of their time correcting.

Take Cascadeur for example, a software which has been around for over a year but has recently been supercharged by the recent milestones in AI development. This program is designed to enhance the experience of character animation by assisting the artist with things like weight distribution among the character based on which parts of the body are moved, and calculating secondary motions based on initial animation data, just to list a few. However the aspect that I like most is the clear need for creative artists to drive the character, as done before with previous software.

This type of technology will allow creators to accelerate their process by more than 10x their normal rate and provide a whole new range of creative expression previously thought impossible. Not only this, but AI assisted software is still very early in its’ developmental cycle, and it is growing at an explosive rate, so while there may not be any direct ties into the industry, it is an inevitability.

But of course, with great power comes great responsibility. As we embrace these cutting-edge technologies, it's crucial to remember the essence of storytelling and artistic expression that lies at the heart of animation. While AI can assist in the technical aspects, it's up to us, the storytellers, to infuse our creations with soul, emotion, and meaning. So with that all said, get excited for the new world of opportunity this opens up for creatives, and get ready to bring your ideas to life like never before.

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