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The influence of AI reaching the art industry is no news and popular mangaka Junji Ito has finally given his opinion on the matter. Being an institution in the manga industry for decades, Ito is a genius storyteller whose art style brilliantly instills horror by tapping into the depths of human psychology.
In a recent interview for 4Gamer, Junji Ito has given his personal take on AI and its potential of taking over the manga industry. He expressed his concern that manga artistry will soon be a cakewalk for the new and innovative AI technology that is now sprouting up now.
Junji Ito voices his opinion on AI-producing manga art in the future
Ito is fearful that even though AI is technically an imitator. He even goes as far as saying that it might hold the potential to make artwork even better than his, in the near future.
Junji Ito reflects on the popular opinion on modern-day horror and his own work ethic saying that he doesn't believe people's fears have changed a lot over time. He adds:
“On the other hand, I always have the desire to create something new and scary,”
He continues that it was like something that people didn't think they were afraid of but something that "suddenly becomes scary." Ito adds that he once drew a manga called Uzumaki and noted:
“The swirl pattern that exists naturally and fear are connected, and the swirl pattern that was casually seen until then becomes scary. In this way, I would like to create a story in which the unexpected becomes frightening before AI.”
Ito has expressed his vision for the future of his own work saying that he wants to weave this contemporary ethical issue into his work. He said that he wants to create a story that will not only expose the horror aspect of the scenario but also try to prove that AI can never beat human creativity.
He also believes that people’s preferences for horror elements have evolved, saying:
“Unlike the old days, there is a word ‘hitokowa’ [unmasking]. In the sense that people are afraid of the psychopathic side of humans, I feel that this tendency is stronger than it used to be.”
He continues:
“However, it does not categorize or verbalize fear, so there are things I do not understand well. If I can analyze those parts, I can incorporate those tendencies into my work and create something that sells.”
It is not difficult to trace the genesis of this fear for the future of artistic endeavors. AI has grown at an unprecedented rate in the last few years and has become widely accessible to the general public.
There is a lot of software dedicated to facilitating artists around the globe and the latest developments of AI have begun to creep into the field. It seems to be taking over the industry norms by creating seamlessly perfect artworks that would give the Turing test a run for its money. CGI and VFX artists are already scared that they might be replaced in their jobs by AI.
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2023), the recent adaptation of Ito's work is available for streaming on Netflix.
Fans are also looking forward to the new live-action movie that has been announced recently. It is a project that is being overseen by Jeff Howard who has produced the popular horror series The Haunting of Hill House.
Stay tuned for more updates on Junji Ito and his works, and other trending manga and anime shows like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, One Punch Man, Demon Slayer, and more.
