Multimedia Artists and Animators

Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.

AI: Fully automatable - By 2025, software and AI-driven tools can autonomously create 2D and 3D images and animations using modeling and animation programs to depict motion and processes.

Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.

AI: Fully automatable - Current rendering and generative tools can convincingly manipulate lighting, materials, and image attributes to make subjects appear lifelike or simulate motion effects.

Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.

AI: Fully automatable - AI image-generation and layout tools can fully produce basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for labels, cartons, direct mail, and television.

Use models to simulate the behavior of animated objects in the finished sequence.

AI: Fully automatable - Simulation and physics engines augmented by AI can fully model and simulate the behavior of animated objects for production sequences.

Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.

AI: Partial - AI can generate complex graphics and proposals and assist creatively, but fully autonomous design using independent judgment at professional quality generally still benefits from human creative direction and curation.

Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.

AI: Partial - AI can produce storyboards and suggest cinematography and editing choices from scripts, but comprehensive storytelling, directorial intent, and nuanced scene planning usually require human creative leadership.

Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.

AI: Partial - AI can accelerate scripting, planning, and generate animated sequences rapidly, but nuanced storytelling, directorial choices, and complex hand-drawn techniques still need human creative control and oversight.

Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.

AI: Partial - AI can assist substantially with background design, scheduling, budgeting, and progress tracking, but full responsibility for production coordination and high-level campaign decisions remains a human role.

Implement and maintain configuration control systems.

AI: Partial - AI can assist in implementing and automating aspects of configuration control systems, yet maintaining them in production and handling site-specific, security, and governance issues requires human administrators.

Assemble, typeset, scan and produce digital camera-ready art or film negatives and printer's proofs.

AI: Partial - Software and AI can assemble, typeset, and produce camera-ready digital art and proofs, but scanning physical originals and final prepress validation typically need human handling.

Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters, and slide shows.

AI: Partial - AI can draft and lay out briefings, brochures, presentations, web pages, promotional materials and technical artwork, but often requires human review for technical accuracy, brand consistency, and final production specs.

Convert real objects to animated objects through modeling, using techniques such as optical scanning.

AI: Partial - AI-driven optical scanning and photogrammetry can convert real objects into models, but manual cleanup, retopology, and rigging are often required to make them animation-ready.

Create pen-and-paper images to be scanned, edited, colored, textured, or animated by computer.

AI: Not automatable - AI cannot physically create pen-and-paper images to be scanned, although it can emulate pen-and-ink styles digitally.

Create and install special effects as required by the script, mixing chemicals and fabricating needed parts from wood, metal, plaster, and clay.

AI: Not automatable - Mixing chemicals and fabricating/installing practical special effects from wood, metal, plaster, and clay require hands-on physical work and safety oversight that AI cannot perform.