For almost four years, the animation industry has protested against the use of generative AI programs to create art. Now in 2026, we see some of the most dedicated creatives experimenting with assistive AI. These tools are being seen as a gateway for educational purposes and easing the stress of certain developmental stages in the animation process.

The artist community was recently heartbroken by El Tigre’s creator, Jorge R. Gutierrez, when he announced that his next cartoon would use artificial intelligence. As much as the majority don’t want Hollywood to be implementing the technology, the sad truth is that there are people who have found ways to use its generative nature without the autopilot.

A Single Piece of American Cheese’s Assistive AI Demo

When people think of AI art, they immediately think of generative image software like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney. These applications were scrutinized for gathering any data from uploaded images from both traditional and digital artists. The available data is recreated as an exact copy with minor changes, which is where artists and gen-AI users battled the definitions of creative fair use and plagiarism.

Then, in 2024, one AI artist challenged and succeeded in discovering the limits of assistive AI. Invoke founder Kent Kiersey experimented with his AI masterpiece, “A Single Slice of American Cheese”, for two years. Where DABUS developer Stephen Thaler failed to obtain copyright for his generated artwork, “Paradise”, Kiersey actually demonstrated proper use of generative AI and the human touch.

He earned his authorship after proving that Invoke’s assistive AI programming allows its human artist to influence whatever area it generates. At the time, Kiersey explained, “The intent and purpose is to show that there is a threshold, and if you can cross that, human creativity can merit the copyright. […] The challenge right now is that we need good examples; we need demonstrations.”

Nura Studios Launched Showcraft

Kiersey’s influence has shifted AI artists’ perspective on exploring assistive AI practices rather than relying on prompts with generative AI applications. On Apr. 30, 2026, Nura Studios announced its AI-assisted animation platform, Showcraft.

According to its developers, the platform is intended for artists in the entertainment industry, including animation, to apply AI learning models with human-made assets in the idealization process. With Nura’s in-house creative studio, Atelier, selected partners will assist both experienced and entry-level artists in using Showcraft’s tools without prompt generation. Atelier also helps creators navigate rights management and intellectual property protection.

Nura Studios made it possible through their veteran art talent across media, including production art software producer Adobe and the 3D game engine Unity. CEO and co-founder Sylvio Drouin informed that Showcraft’s mission is to reduce production friction and lower the entry barriers for project development while preserving human creativity.

“Game studios and publishers are constantly finding new ways to engage players and grow their worlds, while animation studios are pushing to deliver more stories at a higher cadence,” Drouin added. “There is so much creative value that already exists inside worlds and IPs. […] Machines have no talent, humans do. Showcraft will amplify that talent.”

The State of Generative AI Animation

AI animation has come a long way since the debut of the “Will Smith Eating Spaghetti” video. From creating deepfakes to replicating various animation studios, including Studio Ghibli and Pixar. The practice is still widely rejected due to AI creators rushing to mass-produce content, coining the term “AI slop.”

Those who have succeeded with it, such as TikTok’s Fruit Love Island, will meet their downfall. Yahoo Entertainment reported that its content creator, AI Cinema, lost views after multiple people reported the series as spam. Instead of taking care of the matter in a civil manner, AI Cinema escalated the situation with hateful responses. Even when Fruit Love Island captivated an audience, the creator refused to make more and blamed their obsession to forcefully quit.

OpenAI’s Sora was seen as a favorable tool for Hollywood, especially in former Disney Executive Bob Iger’s eyes. The application grew in popularity for the absurd prompts it can generate. This includes voice replication, video compositions, and even music. It gradually declined when US President Donald Trump abused it to create propaganda, and the majority of its users utilized it for pornography. Sora officially stopped servicing on Mar. 23, 2026.

And some creatives who previously rebelled against generative AI have adapted it, whether for better or worse. Jorge R. Gutierrez was the last person expected to cave in. When he announced that his next cartoon, Punky Duck, would include AI-generated assets to reduce production workflow, fans either unfollowed his work or retaliated by commenting on his social media accounts.

Gutierrez’s cartoon was to receive funding from Amazon MGM Studios, who previously faced backlash on their AI decisions in their animation sector. The El Tigre director has now scrapped the IP days after his fans’ disappointment.

The Good Advice Cupcake original web series’ creator, Loryn Brantz, was mortified after learning that her content was being used for the Amazon Animation Initiative.

The former BuzzFeed employee, who once entrusted the media producer, exclaimed, “I was horrified and disgusted by [the company] taking my character, The Good Advice Cupcake, and giving it to an AI platform. My time at BuzzFeed was marked by continually being taken advantage of and lied to.

[…] The news that this character, who is based on my own personality, and whom I created as a microphone to spread love, has been taken and turned into a soulless AI puppet, like having my intestines pulled out of my body.”

OpenAI is still risking its reputation as writer Chad Nelson is put in charge of the upcoming AI-native feature film, Critterz. James Richardson, CEO of amersia.ai, confirmed that AI will be used for all parts of the production process, including the CGI animation. They hope the soon-to-be theatrical release will change the ongoing doubts.

Why Testing Assistive AI Animation Could Be A Good Thing

Kent Kiersey does have a point in testing the waters for assistive AI art to shine. While people are aware of the dangers that generative AI poses, assistive AI could help artists research and gather data to establish the necessary guardrails for the tech.

The US Copyright Office currently holds guidelines surrounding digital replications, human authorship, and generative AI training. Protections can be applied if the creator can prove the software was properly used as a tool instead of automation.

The technology’s continuous development is very similar to what the world experienced with the Internet. Tech and computer engineers worked through trials and errors to educate about online safety, develop malware protection, and cybercrime laws. Artificial intelligence is no exception, as the supporting companies and individuals are desperately trying to keep their capital afloat.