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Toei Animation, the acclaimed studio behind the hit anime One Piece, has come under fire following its announcement to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its production workflow. The revelation ignited strong backlash from fans, who fear that AI could undermine the quality, originality, and artistic integrity of Toei's work. In response to the mounting criticism, Toei has now addressed the controversy.

As reported by Screenrant, Toei’s earnings report not only covered financial details but also offered a glimpse into the studio’s future plans. One of the most debated elements was the revelation that Toei Animation is investing in artificial intelligence, with intentions to incorporate it into several aspects of anime production. The report outlines that areas like storyboard creation, coloring, in-between animation, background generation using photos, and frame correction are expected to be impacted by this initiative.

Toei Animation reacts to the backlash over AI plans

Toei has since revised the document to clarify that it is not currently utilising AI technology in any of the listed production processes. However, the company reaffirmed its intention to adopt AI in the future. 

One Piece animator Vincent Chansard shares his POV

One Piece animator Vincent Chansard reacted to the backlash and shared on X, “Have been talking to everyone i know on this AI thing but it seems everyone's as confused as me. RN it just feels like an overblown disconnected PR-esque statement like "look how we are an inovative company" aimed at shareholders with no concrete real life production change.”

Have been talking to everyone i know on this AI thing but it seems everyone's as confused as me.
RN it just feels like an overblown disconnected PR-esque statement like "look how we are an inovative company" aimed at shareholders with no concrete real life production change.

— Chansard Vincent (@Sparkleredpanda) May 17, 2025

What are anime fans fearing? 

A simple answer to this is that anime fans who have been following Toei's projects have always admired the studio’s animation quality. What they fear is that the use of AI will make the work feel too artificial, causing the essence of anime to be lost.

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