AI in the creative world sparks a lot of debate. Some see it as a game-changer, while others worry about its impact on originality and jobs. Love it or hate it, AI is shaking up the creative industry in ways we never saw coming.
At first, the way AI is changing creative workflows might not be obvious. But behind the scenes, it’s already helping by automating repetitive tasks, generating visual references, and optimizing workflows, freeing up creatives to focus on the big-picture ideas instead of tedious manual work.
That said, not everyone sees AI’s impact as a positive shift. One of the biggest concerns? Originality and job displacement. Many creatives are now reviewing AI-generated work instead of creating from scratch, which is leading to worries about the declining financial value of creative roles (as highlighted in this study done by Queen Mary University).
It’s raising big questions about the future—will AI continue to disrupt the industry, or will it eventually settle into a supporting role? But AI’s impact isn’t one-size-fits-all. In motion design, for example, we’re seeing some interesting shifts.
AI in Motion Design
Take motion design, for example. If you’re not familiar, it’s all about bringing graphic elements to life through animation, movement, and visual storytelling. And just like every other creative field, AI is making waves.
One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing? Workflow automation. AI is taking over repetitive tasks like asset generation, animation smoothing, and even some aspects of keyframing, helping designers work faster and more efficiently. It can also enhance motion effects, automate tedious steps, and speed up rendering, making animation workflows smoother than ever.
But does that mean AI is replacing motion designers? Not at all. The way we see it, AI is more of a creative assistant than a replacement. Instead of taking away jobs, it’s helping motion designers focus on concept development, storytelling, and pushing creative boundaries, while automation takes care of the technical heavy lifting. That said, AI still has a long way to go when it comes to creative intuition, emotional depth, and truly understanding the nuances of storytelling.
AI is still evolving, and the balance between automation and human creativity is something the industry is figuring out in real time. How much should we rely on AI? Where does human creativity make the biggest impact? We talked to a motion design agency based in London, Motion The Agency (MTA), to get a better idea on how they able to grow and thrive in the midst of AI generation.
How AI is Integrated into the Animation Process
AI is transforming the animation workflow, streamlining everything from concept development to post-production. By handling tedious tasks and enhancing creative capabilities, it frees up animators and motion designers to focus on storytelling and visual impact. The video below by Motion The Agency gives a quick breakdown of how AI can be integrated into the production process.
Pre-Production
AI is streamlining the early stages of animation by generating backgrounds, concept art, and even script ideas—helping teams move from brainstorming to production much faster.
Tools like Leonardo AI and Getimg.ai can turn prompt into image backgrounds, you can read about how AI generate video shaped Motion The Agency’s pre-production workflow “AI in Motion Design”, cutting down pre-production time while offering a solid creative foundation. AI-assisted scriptwriting tools also help by suggesting dialogue, plot structures, and pacing adjustments, making storytelling more efficient.
Production
AI is making the production process more cost-effective and flexible, reducing the need for expensive live shoots and manual editing.
- Platforms like HeyGen and Synthesia AI enable AI-generated avatars, making them a great fit for explainer videos and product demos without the need for actors or filming locations. These avatars can be seamlessly layered with motion graphics and animation, adding more depth to the final product.
Post-Production
Post-production is becoming more seamless with faster rendering, automated edits, and smarter AI-driven tools, allowing motion designers to focus more on creativity and storytelling.
- AI automates time-consuming tasks like background removal and animating static images, making it easier to integrate AI-generated elements into motion design projects.
- AI optimizes frame processing, cutting down rendering times while maintaining high-quality output.
- Runway Act-One and similar tools enable AI-assisted dubbing and lip-syncing, making character animations feel more natural without the need for hours of manual adjustments.
AI’s Impact on Video Production Costs & Efficiency
After chatting with MTA’s CEO, Samuel Jupp, about how his team uses AI to refine their workflow while keeping creative decisions in the hands of their designers, we realized that using AI in projects can get pretty expensive—especially with the varying costs of AI tools. His take? It’s all about balance. In his words…
“It’s all about balance. When my team and I decide to invest in an AI tool, we make sure it’s something we actually need and that it genuinely improves our workflow. We also look for tools that can do more than just one thing—if it’s only good for a single task, it’s harder to justify the cost.” Sam Jupp – CEO of Motion The Agency
Budget Considerations: Cost Savings vs. AI Software Expenses
AI is making it easier to cut costs by eliminating the need for stock footage, voiceover artists, and large animation teams, giving brands more flexibility without sacrificing quality. Instead of relying on expensive external assets, AI-generated visuals and voiceovers offer a scalable, customizable alternative that fits different projects and budgets.
AI can help cut costs in areas like stock footage and voiceovers, but it’s not always a cheap fix. It requires an upfront investment in software, training, and infrastructure, making it more of a long-term decision. Teams need to figure out how to seamlessly integrate AI into their workflow, and sometimes that means investing in additional hardware or cloud-based solutions to handle complex processing.
Motion The Agency has embraced AI-enhanced voiceovers instead of professional narrators for some projects, helping them reduce costs while maintaining high-quality production. This approach also allows them to support clients with tight budgets and short timelines, offering a fast and cost-effective way to produce professional-grade narration. It’s a smart way to stay agile and efficient while still delivering polished, high-quality content.
Speed & Workflow Efficiency
Okay, we have mentioned that we see AI changing the creative industry, well it is very much evident in the animation side of the industry. AI is changing the game for workflows, automating key processes, cutting down on manual work, and speeding up production timelines. By handling the repetitive stuff, AI frees up designers and animators to focus on creativity, storytelling, and making visuals more engaging—instead of getting stuck in tedious tasks.
One of the biggest advantages? AI speeds up animation by automating tasks like background generation and in-betweening, helping projects move faster without sacrificing quality.
Instead of manually filling in every frame, AI smooths out motion and keeps everything flowing seamlessly, making production more efficient—just like the picture above, where Motion The Agency is utilizing Klutz GPT an After Effect AI plugin to assist with their project.
It also makes asset extraction, creation, and refinement a whole lot easier. For MTA, they can instantly repurpose visuals instead of waiting on client-provided files, speeding up revisions and adapting content on the fly.
This is especially useful when working with repeat clients, allowing them to quickly update or modify existing assets without starting from scratch. It’s a huge advantage for meeting tight deadlines and keeping projects moving efficiently.
Training & New Skill Requirements for Designers
With AI taking over repetitive tasks, where does that leave motion designers? When we asked Motion The Agency’s designers, they all agreed—“motion designers should be excited.” They see AI as an opportunity, not a threat. It’s like discovering a new tool that, when used wisely, can enhance artistic vision and storytelling rather than replace creativity.
The best way to adapt to AI’s growing role in motion design? Embrace it. Learn it. Master it.
AI is shaking up the industry, and designers need to keep up by learning and adapting to new tools. Some are easy to pick up, but others, like HeyGen AI, take a bit more time to figure out and smoothly integrate into workflows.
To stay ahead, motion designers should focus on AI-assisted animation, prompt engineering, and AI-enhanced storytelling. These skills allow them to use AI as a creative assistant, making their work faster, smarter, and more dynamic while keeping their artistic vision in the driver’s seat.
Is AI Replacing Designers? The Truth About AI in Video Production
This is the big question isn’t it? Well, the way MTA sees it is AI is not replacing motion designers, and not anytime soon. There are still a lot of aspects in motion design that needs human touch:
AI’s Struggles with Emotional Storytelling
While AI is great at automating tasks and speeding up workflows, it still struggles when it comes to emotional storytelling. It lacks creative intuition, emotional depth, and a unique artistic touch, making it less effective for story-driven content that relies on human emotion and nuance.
AI-generated voices are another challenge—they often sound robotic and lack natural inflection, which can make content feel less engaging and authentic. Unless the tool is properly trained and tailored to fit the context of the content, the output may still feel unnatural and detached. While AI voice technology is improving, it still can’t fully replicate the warmth, emotion, and subtlety that human storytellers bring to the table.
What AI Can Automate vs. What Still Requires Human Input
AI excels at automating repetitive tasks, making processes like rotoscoping, in-betweening, and procedural animation faster and more efficient. It’s a powerful tool for handling the technical side of animation, freeing up designers to focus on the bigger picture.
That said, creativity, narrative direction, and unique artistic expression are still human strengths. AI can generate assets, suggest edits, or speed up workflows, but it lacks the ability to craft emotionally compelling stories, make creative judgment calls, or develop a distinct artistic vision—things that set great motion design apart. Motion The Agency did covers this topic more indepthly in their blog “AI in Motion Design”
What This Means for the Next Generation of Video Creators
The Future of Motion Design in an AI-Driven World
The role of motion designers is evolving, and Motion The Agency believes that those who embrace AI as a tool rather than a threat will gain a real competitive edge. AI is streamlining workflows, automating tedious tasks, and making animation more accessible—but at the end of the day, it’s still just that, a tool.
Essential Skills for Future Video Professionals
As AI becomes a bigger part of the creative process, video professionals need to find the right balance between technical skills and creative intuition. It’s not just about knowing how to use AI—it’s about understanding AI-assisted animation techniques and how to blend AI outputs with human creativity to create something truly unique.
The best way to stay ahead? Experiment. Play around with layering effects, combining AI-generated assets, and refining final outputs to see how AI can enhance, not replace, creative storytelling. The real value comes from knowing when to use AI to push design forward and when to rely on human creativity to make an impact—just like the example above, where Motion The Agency combined an AI-generated avatar with typography, animation, and VFX to create a dynamic, visually engaging piece.
Motion The Agency also dives deeper into this in The Future of AI in Motion Graphics, breaking down how AI is reshaping the industry and what creative professionals can do to stay ahead of the curve.
Final Thoughts: The Future of AI in Video Production
AI is quickly becoming a go-to creative assistant, helping streamline workflows, cut costs, and speed up production. It’s making high-quality animation and motion design more accessible than ever, but here’s the thing—AI is just a tool.
No matter how advanced it gets, human creativity, storytelling, and artistic vision will always be what makes content truly stand out. AI can handle the repetitive stuff, but it can’t replace originality, emotional depth, or the creative instincts that bring ideas to life.
The best video creators won’t fight against AI—they’ll make it work for them. Those who learn how to blend AI with their own creative skills will be the ones shaping the future of video production.
Want to see AI and human creativity working hand in hand? Check out Motion The Agency—They’re using AI to push motion design forward while keeping creativity at the core.
