FX Company Who Did Secret Invasion Credits Says AI Intro Didn’t Cost Artists Jobs

The new MCU Disney+ series Secret Invasion has taken some flack for using AI in the creation of its intro credits scene, but the company behind it says it didn’t cost artist jobs. The series premiered its first episode on Disney+ Wednesday morning, and it was called out for using AI to help create the credits, as was acknowledged by executive producer and director Ali Selim in an interview with Polygon.

Selim had told the site that Method Studios did the AI work, which is acknowledged in the end credits of the show as well. He noted, “When we reached out to the AI vendors, that was part of it — it just came right out of the shape-shifting, Skrull world identity, you know? Who did this? Who is this?”

The move drew backlash online considering that the use of AI has drawn concerns regarding the rights of artists, AI being used in the place of actual artists and more. One of the big issues driving the WGA strike is (in addition to streaming residuals), the MPAA rejecting the writer’s guild’s request that they ban the use of AI for writing and rewriting any source material, nor train AIs on WGA writers’ work.

Following the backlash, Method Studios — an FX company who have done visual effects for such films as Let Me In, Top Gun Maverick, X-Men: First Class, Cloud Atlas, Mad Max: Fury Road and more, issued a statement to THR in which they clarified that AI was “just one tool among the array of tool sets our artists used” and that “No artists’ jobs were replaced by incorporating these new tools; instead, they complemented and assisted our creative teams.”

The full statement is below:

“Working on Secret Invasion, a captivating show exploring the infiltration of aliens into human society, provided an exceptional opportunity to delve into the intriguing realm of AI, specifically for creating unique character attributes and movements. Utilizing a custom AI tool for this particular element perfectly aligned with the project’s overall theme and the desired aesthetic.

The production process was highly collaborative and iterative, with a dedicated focus on this specific application of an AI toolset. It involved a tremendous effort by talented art directors, animators (proficient in both 2D and 3D), artists, and developers, who employed conventional techniques to craft all the other aspects of the project. However, it is crucial to emphasize that while the AI component provided optimal results, AI is just one tool among the array of toolsets our artists used. No artists’ jobs were replaced by incorporating these new tools; instead, they complemented and assisted our creative teams.

Method Studios’ team of designers skillfully leveraged the power of both existing and custom AI technologies to apply the otherworldly and alien look. The entire process, guided by expert art direction, encompassed the initial storyboard phase, illustration, AI generation, 2D/3D animation and culminated in the final.”