AI Takes Over South Park: A Glimpse into the Future of Animation

A Whole Robotic Know-How

Artificial intelligence continues to advance at an incredible pace, surpassing the limits we once thought were insurmountable. Recently, an American studio took it even further by creating a complete episode of South Park entirely produced by AI, with only a few command lines written by humans.

Fable Studios, unrelated to the fantasy game, showcased their impressive software by publishing a video on Twitter that looks exactly like an episode of South Park, but everything from writing to directing, editing, voice acting, and animation was done by an artificial intelligence. The result is astonishing, and you can watch it below:

In the video, you can see that The Simulation promises an interface where users simply select characters, environments, and provide a synopsis to create an episode from scratch. For this particular episode, the following sentences were written:

Incredibly, the voices of the dubbing actors in the episode, including famous actors like Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise, closely resemble the originals. This achievement comes at a significant time considering the ongoing strike in the Hollywood industry.

The Strike Is Not About to End

If you’re eagerly waiting for the next seasons of your favorite series, you’re probably aware of the major strike currently affecting the entire Hollywood industry. It was initiated by the Writers Guild of America, supported and reinvigorated by SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union.

Among the strikers’ demands, in addition to better wages and working conditions, is the regulation of artificial intelligence. The rise of AI has the potential to eliminate jobs within the industry. Many projects have already been delayed due to these social movements, and Fable Studios saw it as the perfect time to unveil their creation, The Simulation. Although they used South Park as an example in response to the strike (depicting Cartman attempting to create a company using Deep Fakes to replace striking actors), Fable Studios emphasizes that the software was solely developed for research purposes.

Edward Saatchi, the president of Fable Studios, even defended the project as a means to assist the striking screenwriters and actors. In an interview, he stated:

While the intentions of Fable Studios seem commendable, it’s hard to predict how the striking industry workers will perceive it, especially since the outcome of the AI-generated episode showcases their fears. Whether this project will aid the strikers in making a stronger case or convince producers that the entire creative process can be replaced at a lower cost remains to be seen. If you already believed that Netflix series or Marvel films were indistinguishable, this development is unlikely to change your perception, as AI continues to advance.