The usage of AI by a concept artist in Avatar Studios is really disappointing and pointing to a larger issue to me when coupled with the fact that the studio is doing away with using Chinese in favor of "avatarian". (AND, also the removal of nods to different ethnic features in the characters, which they had in the original, in favor of more generic, copy + paste "anime" noses.)
Firstly, I firmly believe that the majority of people working on TLA film are resolutely anti-AI. Most artists are. I never thought that AI was used in the art production. The most likely scenario is that one concept artist used it for background research in design presentations for Aang's adult design.
But, what's so icky here is that we are seeing this being done without the proper due care in research into actual East Asian cultures. When you borrow from another culture in your work, at minimum, you should be doing the proper research. Everyone on the team should, from top to bottom.
They needed to be sourcing from museum archives, cultural historians, academic papers, etc. Not chat GPT. That's disrespectful to the culture you are taking from and feels so cheap compared to the original's dedication (albeit sometimes quite flawed too) to this very aspect. In all honesty, they really should have been delving specifically into historical appearances of Tibetan men and Tibetan monks, not just Chinese and not just East Asian, even broader (as that can have orientalist implications…).
Then, it must have been seen and signed off on by higher ups to some degree because they clearly prepared that SDCC presentation. Bryke, Montgomery, and co. were up on that stage presenting that slide, so they had some knowledge of what was being shown. They either didn't pay enough attention to their own presentation, best case, or they saw it, and did not think it was problematic.
It also is unlikely that is the first time higher-ups saw that concept art with its annotation about Chat GPT. It was chosen out of likely hundreds of pages of concept art to be displayed. It's indicative of some sloppiness, at best, among higher ups here.
And, I don't like the feeling this gives when you group it with the discarding of the Chinese language influence and showcasing in their work. It would be one thing if "Avatarian" was an initial concept from the get-go, but even then, I don't think it would be as poignant as showcasing Chinese languages. When you are not from a culture and you are being inspired by it and profiting off of it, I think it is important to be careful in how you present it.
The original seemed to, at the very least, be dedicated to this, even if they sometimes did miss the mark there as well. That's what made people drawn to Avatar. They didn't cut corners like this and gave things their due diligence. I just find this all disappointing.
I'm still a fan of the franchise, and I'm excited to see more Southeast Asian representation going forward. I'll be checking out the new Avatar series, though with bated breath. Unlike many people, I don't want them to stop making Avatar franchise content, I just want it to be better and more thoughtful and I don't trust Mike and Bryan in doing this. They're world builders. They aren't good at characterizations or writing relationships, imo, from what we've seen in their projects since ATLA.
I wish they would recognize this and get more people on board for the writing and development of their characters. ATLA was a lightning in a bottle moment with all the right folks at the right time, so I don't think things will ever be that good again, but they could be more considerate and a lot more enjoyable and down to earth and careful. I hope that they wake up soon.
