Every new technology changes the way art is made. Generative AI is pushing those questions into the spotlight faster than many artists expected. As with other big leaps in industry and technology throughout history, it's not always as simple as being for or against it.
From animation studios and independent creators to Comic-Con panels and university labs, we follow the people navigating one of the creative world's biggest turning points. Some choose not to use AI. Others see it as another tool. Many fall somewhere in between. Their stories reveal that the real conflict isn't simply humans versus machines. It's about preserving imagination, protecting artists and deciding what role technology should play in creative work.
As AI becomes more capable, one question keeps surfacing: What makes a piece of art feel unmistakably human?
Guests:
- Jeaux Janovsky, animator
- Marc Biagi, voice actor and professor of Information Technology at San Diego City College
- Ben Zhao, designer of Glaze and Nightshade; professor of computer science at University of Chicago
- Taylor Johnson, founder of Mortis Studio, a San Diego animation and creative house
- Camille Jones, co-creator of "Middle of Everything" and a former CDC epidemiology expert
- Darby Vickers, philosophy professor at University of San Diego and advisory member of the Animation Guild AI Task Force
- Connie He, director of "Dear Upstairs Neighbors"
- Geoffrey Long, professor of Emerging Technology and Design at Miami University in Ohio
- Attendees of San Diego Comic-Con 2026
Sources:
- Critical Crossroads: The Impact of Generative AI and the Importance of Protecting the Animation Workforce (Animation Guild, 2024)
- Future Unscripted: The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Entertainment Industry Jobs (Animation Guild, 2024)
- Marvel faces backlash over AI-generated opening credits (Adrian Horton, The Guardian, 2023)
- Amazon MGM Studios Embraces AI: Greenlights Three Series for Prime Video Under New ‘GenAI Creators’ Fund’ (Todd Spangler, Variety, 2026)
- Netflix will launch an AI animation studio — but 51% of people aren’t in favor of a future with generative AI content in it (Danni Santana, Moneywise, 2026)
- Death Threats, Doxxing and AI: How Animator Jorge Gutiérrez Killed His Own Show in 36 Hours (Clayton Davis, Variety, 2026)
- The Legend of John Henry: Talcott, WV (National Park Service)
- How Professional Visual Artists are Negotiating Generative AI in the Workplace (Harry H. Jiang, Jordan Taylor, William Agnew, Carnegie Mellon University, 2026)
- “iScream” Music Video (Deaton Chris Anthony, Mortis Studio, 2022)
- How animators and AI researchers made ‘Dear Upstairs Neighbors’ (Cassidy Curtis, Sarah Rumbley, News from Google, 2026)
From KPBS Public Media, The Finest is a podcast about the people, art and movements redefining culture in San Diego. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, Pandora, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have feedback or a story idea? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at thefinest@kpbs.org and let us know what you think.