Is budget push to develop animation, VFX, gaming talent in AI era pragmatic?

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As the government allocated funds to develop talent in the animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC) ecosystem in the country, experts say the sector faces serious disruption from artificial intelligence, which may shrink job opportunities in some of these categories. In the organized sector, including feature films and OTT series, the impact will be incremental but irreversible as AI will increasingly be embedded into pipelines to reduce turnaround time, manage costs, and optimize post-production, particularly in VFX-heavy projects, according to experts.

However, AI poses a greater risk to short-form and social media content. Studios would also have to focus on ethical and legal awareness, including copyright issues, the responsible use of AI-generated content, consent and likeness considerations, especially when working with digital characters or facial data. “The impact of AI will be uneven across formats.

Long-form films and OTT content will see controlled adoption due to quality benchmarks, brand risk, and accountability requirements, which necessitate human oversight. AI will assist workflows but not drive creative outcomes," said Mihir Rale, partner– (co-head – digital | TMT), Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. In contrast, according to Rahul Hingmire, managing partner, Vis Legis Law Practice, short-form and social media content is far more exposed to AI-led automation, as speed, cost efficiency and volume take priority over creative perfection.