Key points
- The 2023 anime short used a Japanese Stable Diffusion model to generate backgrounds from human concept art, credited to AI plus human.
- Netflix cited an animator labour shortage as justification, prompting immediate backlash from artists over pay and credit.
- It is the most-discussed real-world anime AI-production case, a primary teaching artefact on practice and ethics.
Summary
The Dog and the Boy is a January 2023 anime short in which WIT Studio, in collaboration with Netflix Japan, used a localised Stable Diffusion model to generate background art from human concept drawings. Netflix's public statement attributed the decision to Japan's animator labour shortage, which drew immediate and sustained criticism from animation professionals regarding pay structures, creative credit, and ethical use of AI in production. The case is the most widely cited real-world example of generative AI deployed in anime production, and functions as a primary teaching artefact for discussions of practice, labour, and professional ethics in animation education.
Related items
- Japan anime and manga industry joint statement on generative AI
- General Understanding on AI and Copyright (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan)
Source
Source: Netflix Japan / WIT Studio (English coverage: Anime News Network) ↗ (Trade Press)
Cite this item
Netflix Japan / WIT Studio (English coverage: Anime News Network) (2023). ‘Netflix and WIT Studio: The Dog and the Boy (AI backgrounds)’, Netflix Japan / WIT Studio (English coverage: Anime News Network). Available at: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2023-02-02/wit-studio-produces-the-dog-and-the-boy-anime-short-with-ai-generated-backgrounds/.194426
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