TLDR: The Animation Guild (TAG) has issued a ‘Critical Crossroads’ report highlighting that entry-level positions in the animation industry are most susceptible to job displacement by generative artificial intelligence. The union, representing over 6,000 members, expressed significant concerns about AI’s potential to automate tasks in design, production, animation, and scriptwriting, disproportionately affecting emerging talents from underrepresented communities. This report comes amidst ongoing discussions and contract negotiations with Hollywood studios regarding AI protections.
The Animation Guild (TAG), officially IATSE Local 839, has sounded a significant alarm regarding the pervasive impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on the animation industry, particularly on its entry-level workforce. In its ‘Critical Crossroads’ report, developed by TAG’s AI Task Force, the union asserts that junior positions are the most vulnerable to elimination or consolidation as studios increasingly adopt AI technologies. This concern is amplified by the prediction that AI replacement will disproportionately affect up-and-coming talents from underrepresented communities and less affluent backgrounds, who often rely on these entry-level roles to establish their careers.
TAG, which advocates for over 6,000 artists, technicians, writers, and production workers, released its report following an updated AI Survey in March 2024. The survey revealed that a striking 67% of respondents did not view GenAI favorably in the workplace, with 61% expressing ‘extreme concern’ about its negative impact on future job prospects. The report details that AI could be deployed to perform a wide array of tasks, including character and environment design, 3D modeling and composing, animation, rigging, and even scriptwriting, tasks traditionally performed by human artists and technicians.
Industry trends support these concerns, with most animation studios already incorporating generative AI for developing 3D and 2D assets and art. A significant portion of studios anticipate using AI for productivity management (33%) and scriptwriting for film and TV (25%). The union’s report argues that the technology’s capabilities are only set to advance, further endangering jobs across the sector.
The ‘Critical Crossroads’ report also outlined key priorities for TAG members in response to AI’s rise. These include adding provisions to collective bargaining agreements to prohibit the use of GenAI to replace covered work (a priority for 100% of respondents), preventing studios from using TAG member work to train GenAI models (87%), and advocating for staffing minimums or guaranteed weeks of employment to address GenAI displacement (75%). Other priorities include indemnification from copyright infringement cases and protecting workplace diversity.
This report emerged during a period of intense contract negotiations between TAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). While the guild eventually ratified a new three-year contract with Hollywood studios in December 2024, some members of the negotiating committee expressed reservations, feeling that the AI protections did not go far enough to prevent job losses. The executive board, however, defended the pact, stating that dissenting opinions represented a minority view. Nevertheless, AI-related anxieties have fueled increased interest in joining the guild, underscoring the widespread concern among entertainment industry workers about the fast-advancing technology.
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Broader industry analyses also echo TAG’s concerns. The World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs Report 2025’ indicated that 40% of employers plan to cut jobs where AI can automate tasks, with market research analysts and sales representatives potentially seeing up to 67% of their tasks replaced. While some reports suggest AI’s impact on overall job numbers might be a ‘complex reshaping’ rather than a ‘straightforward elimination,’ the disruption is clearly visible in specific roles and sectors, with entry-level positions consistently identified as being at higher risk.
