AI Integration

19 roles
How much AI is woven into each creative-tech role. We show two honest readings side by side and never blend them: what studios actually name in job ads (measured) and how much of the craft AI can do today (our reasoned estimate - a band where it genuinely depends). The gap between them is the story. The tools themselves live on AI Impact. Counts are all-time, across every posting tracked since launch.
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▼ Roles that name AI tools in ads 45 roles
Creative roles ranked by how many of their job ads name at least one AI tool (all-time). The number is that count; chips on the right are the tools the role names most, with how many ads each. A mention isn't proof of required use - it can be a "nice to have" or named in passing.
Other Engineers
24
Claude17Cursor6Claude Code6ChatGPT4Flux4
Other Managers
15
Flux10Claude4Aider3Cursor1GitHub Copilot1
Tech Artist
9
Flux9Aider4
Tools Engineer
9
Claude Code3Claude3Cursor2Flux1Aider1
Generative AI Artist
6
Stable Diffusion4Midjourney2ChatGPT2ComfyUI2Hugging Face1
Other Artists
4
Stable Diffusion3Flux3ComfyUI3InvokeAI3Higgsfield1
Finance / Ops
4
Cursor3Claude Code3Claude3
Lighting Artist
4
Flux4
Technical Director
4
Flux4Aider1
AI Pipeline / Workflow
3
ComfyUI3Runway1Kling1
Animator
3
ChatGPT2Flux1
Engine Programmer
3
GitHub Copilot2Claude Code2Claude2Aider1
FX Artist
3
Aider2Flux1
Pipeline TD
3
Flux3
Producer
3
Aider2Imagen1
Sound Designer
3
Aider2Flux1
2D Artist
2
ChatGPT2
Art Director
2
Nano Banana1Flux1
Compositor
2
ComfyUI1Flux1
DevOps / SysAdmin
2
Flux1Claude Code1Claude1
Gameplay Programmer
2
Aider2
Look Dev Artist
2
Aider2Flux1
Narrative Designer
2
Aider2
Production Coordinator
2
Flux2Aider2
VFX Artist
2
Flux2
Visual Development Artist
2
ComfyUI2
3D Generalist
1
Flux1Aider1
CG Artist
1
ComfyUI1
Character Artist
1
Flux1
Character Designer
1
ChatGPT1
Concept Artist
1
Midjourney1Stable Diffusion1DALL-E1Runway1Luma1
Crowd TD
1
Aider1
Other Designers
1
Flux1Aider1
Other Directors
1
Runway1
Editor
1
ChatGPT1Claude1Gemini1
Environment Artist
1
RealityScan1
Groom Artist
1
Flux1
Level Designer
1
Flux1
Lighting Supervisor
1
Flux1
Matte Painter
1
Aider1
Modeler
1
RealityScan1
Production Manager
1
Codeium1Claude1
Recruiter
1
Runway1
Roto/Paint Artist
1
Spline1
UI Artist
1
ChatGPT1
▼ The other side: emerging AI-creative roles 14 postings
The hybrid layer where classic craft meets generative pipelines (ComfyUI, gen-AI workflows). A narrow slice - AI shows up far more in tool adoption than in new job titles. Creative roles only: AI/ML engineering and game (NPC) AI are excluded. Counted automatically every run from job titles.
14 generative-AI creative roles · 0.3% of all tracked
Generative AI Artist
9
e.g. Senior Generative AI Designer / Artist
AI Pipeline / Workflow
3
e.g. Gen AI Workflow Designer (Brahma AI - A DNEG Dedicated Unit of Brahma)
Concept Artist
1
e.g. AI Concept artist
Visual Development Artist
1
e.g. Visual Development Artist - AI & Generative Tools
▼ AI vs your craft, by role 19 roles
FACThow often studios name an AI tool in this role's ads (measured, weekly)
OUR ESTIMATEhow much of the craft AI can do today - our reasoned read, not a measurement; a band where it depends
blue bar (Job ads) = how many of the role's ads name an AI tool
orange bar = AI-capable territory
green bar = stays human
striped bar = Mixed - depends on the shot (generic AI-capable, art-directed stays human)
range bar (two ticks) = generalist - spans its lowest to its highest craft, no single verdict
A near-empty FACT bar can mean "so normal it is not written", not "unused".
🔍
Concept Artist High
Job ads
1 of 44
AI can do
High
Rarely named in ads - likely assumed, not unused.
Concept / illustration High AI image generation now produces concept directions, mood and variations in minutes - the thumbnail-and-explore stage that used to take days. What stays human: art direction, keeping characters and IP on-model and consistent, and turning a striking image into something a production can actually build.
Tools: Photoshop, Unreal Engine, Maya, Blender, 3ds Max (context - we score the work, not the program)
Matte Painter High
Job ads
1 of 28
AI can do
High
Rarely named in ads - likely assumed, not unused.
Matte painting High Image generation is strong at the heart of matte work - skies, distant cities, sweeping vistas - and roughs in a believable backdrop fast. What stays human: projecting onto camera-correct geometry, integrating into the live plate, and the shot-specific fixes that hold up under the final grade.
Tools: Photoshop, Nuke, Maya, Houdini, 3ds Max (context - we score the work, not the program)
Tech Artist Moderate
Job ads
9 of 120
AI can do
Moderate
Scripting / pipeline code High AI coding assistants write, explain and refactor pipeline and tool code well, and take the grind out of the routine parts. What stays human: the architecture, debugging real production issues, and deciding what to build in the first place.
Procedural Low Procedural work is already algorithmic, and AI can suggest setups or parameters. What stays human: designing the system, the rules and the art-directable controls that make procedural output actually usable.
Tools: Unreal Engine, Maya, Houdini, Unity, Blender (context - we score the work, not the program)
VFX Artist Spread
Job ads
2 of 76
AI can do
Low - High
No single answer - a generalist's AI exposure depends on which part of the work you focus on. The bar shows the range, lowest to highest craft; see them below.
Roto High AI matting and rotoscoping have become genuinely good, pulling mattes and tracking edges that used to be frame-by-frame manual labour. What stays human: fine hair, motion blur and semi-transparent edges, which still need a person to check and clean.
FX / simulation Mixed FX splits sharply by the task, which is why this one is a band rather than a single verdict. Where the look is a well-learned natural pattern - ocean surface, smoke, fire, clouds - AI can produce convincing results fast, and a full 3D simulation would be slow and expensive. But where a shot needs precise, art-directable behaviour - exact timing, interacting with specific geometry, hitting a director's note - AI still drifts and makes mistakes, so studios fall back to controllable 3D sims. So how much AI can do here honestly depends on the shot.
Compositing Low AI takes isolated tasks - cleanup, roto, some matte work. What stays human: the precise node-based assembly of a final shot, where every operation must be exact, controllable and consistent across the whole sequence.
Matchmove / tracking Low Tracking is already heavily solver-automated, and AI is improving the hard cases. What stays human: verifying and correcting the solve so geometry locks perfectly to the plate - an error here breaks the shot.
Lighting Low AI relighting is promising but still research-stage for production. What stays human: the lighting decisions themselves - mood, motivation, continuity and matching across a sequence - which are deliberate creative choices.
Your focus area? Jump to the role: FX TD · Compositor · Lighting Artist
Tools: Houdini, Maya, Photoshop, Unreal Engine, After Effects (context - we score the work, not the program)
Modeler Moderate
Job ads
1 of 77
AI can do
Moderate
Modeling Moderate Text- and image-to-3D now produce usable base meshes fast, which covers the blocking stage. What stays human: clean topology, UVs, correct scale and the specs a model needs to deform, render and move down the pipeline.
Sculpting Moderate AI can generate a base sculpt or a starting form to push from. What stays human: the high-frequency detail, the anatomy, and the art-directed character that makes a sculpt read as intended.
Tools: Maya, After Effects, 3ds Max, Photoshop, Houdini (context - we score the work, not the program)
Surfacing Artist Moderate
Job ads
0 of 21
AI can do
Moderate
Texturing / surfacing Moderate AI material and texture generation is real and improving - it can dress a surface or propose a look quickly. What stays human: shot-final consistency, correct material response, and matching textures across an asset and across shots.
Tools: Maya, Katana, Arnold, Nuke (context - we score the work, not the program)
Environment Artist Moderate
Job ads
1 of 65
AI can do
Moderate
Environment design Moderate AI generates environment concepts and rough blockouts quickly. What stays human: assembling a coherent, navigable, performance-ready space that survives a camera moving through it and the needs of gameplay or story.
Tools: Maya, Unreal Engine, 3ds Max, Blender, Unity (context - we score the work, not the program)
Layout Artist Moderate
Job ads
0 of 12
AI can do
Moderate
Cinematics / previs Moderate AI video generation and virtual cameras can rough out a sequence or a previs pass. What stays human: the actual direction - staging, edit, performance and the precise camera language a final cinematic needs.
Tools: Maya, Nuke, ShotGrid, 3ds Max, Photoshop (context - we score the work, not the program)
Animator Mixed
Job ads
3 of 171
AI can do
Mixed
Mixed - AI handles common, well-learned cases; original or precise, art-directed work stays human.
Animation Mixed Animation splits by how known the motion is. For well-studied, common behaviour - a character walking, a standard action - AI video tools now produce motion that often looks very good. Original movement, or a complex transition between actions, is harder: it can read as unnatural, so teams often simplify and avoid the tricky linkages when leaning on AI. The performance itself - intent, timing and weight that make motion feel alive - stays human. So how much AI can do here depends on the shot.
Tools: Maya, Unreal Engine, MotionBuilder, Unity, After Effects (context - we score the work, not the program)
FX TD Mixed
Job ads
0 of 37
AI can do
Mixed
Mixed - AI handles common, well-learned cases; original or precise, art-directed work stays human.
FX / simulation Mixed FX splits sharply by the task, which is why this one is a band rather than a single verdict. Where the look is a well-learned natural pattern - ocean surface, smoke, fire, clouds - AI can produce convincing results fast, and a full 3D simulation would be slow and expensive. But where a shot needs precise, art-directable behaviour - exact timing, interacting with specific geometry, hitting a director's note - AI still drifts and makes mistakes, so studios fall back to controllable 3D sims. So how much AI can do here honestly depends on the shot.
Tools: Houdini, Maya, Nuke, Pyro (fire/smoke) (context - we score the work, not the program)
FX Artist Mixed
Job ads
3 of 71
AI can do
Mixed
Mixed - AI handles common, well-learned cases; original or precise, art-directed work stays human.
FX / simulation Mixed FX splits sharply by the task, which is why this one is a band rather than a single verdict. Where the look is a well-learned natural pattern - ocean surface, smoke, fire, clouds - AI can produce convincing results fast, and a full 3D simulation would be slow and expensive. But where a shot needs precise, art-directable behaviour - exact timing, interacting with specific geometry, hitting a director's note - AI still drifts and makes mistakes, so studios fall back to controllable 3D sims. So how much AI can do here honestly depends on the shot.
Tools: Houdini, Maya, Unreal Engine, VEX, 3ds Max (context - we score the work, not the program)
CFX Artist Mixed
Job ads
0 of 25
AI can do
Mixed
Mixed - AI handles common, well-learned cases; original or precise, art-directed work stays human.
FX / simulation Mixed FX splits sharply by the task, which is why this one is a band rather than a single verdict. Where the look is a well-learned natural pattern - ocean surface, smoke, fire, clouds - AI can produce convincing results fast, and a full 3D simulation would be slow and expensive. But where a shot needs precise, art-directable behaviour - exact timing, interacting with specific geometry, hitting a director's note - AI still drifts and makes mistakes, so studios fall back to controllable 3D sims. So how much AI can do here honestly depends on the shot.
Tools: Houdini, Maya, VEX, ShotGrid, Nuke (context - we score the work, not the program)
Crowd TD Mixed
Job ads
1 of 21
AI can do
Mixed
Mixed - AI handles common, well-learned cases; original or precise, art-directed work stays human.
FX / simulation Mixed FX splits sharply by the task, which is why this one is a band rather than a single verdict. Where the look is a well-learned natural pattern - ocean surface, smoke, fire, clouds - AI can produce convincing results fast, and a full 3D simulation would be slow and expensive. But where a shot needs precise, art-directable behaviour - exact timing, interacting with specific geometry, hitting a director's note - AI still drifts and makes mistakes, so studios fall back to controllable 3D sims. So how much AI can do here honestly depends on the shot.
Tools: Houdini, Maya, VEX, MotionBuilder, ShotGrid (context - we score the work, not the program)
3D Generalist Spread
Job ads
1 of 71
AI can do
Low - Moderate
No single answer - a generalist's AI exposure depends on which part of the work you focus on. The bar shows the range, lowest to highest craft; see them below.
Modeling Moderate Text- and image-to-3D now produce usable base meshes fast, which covers the blocking stage. What stays human: clean topology, UVs, correct scale and the specs a model needs to deform, render and move down the pipeline.
Texturing / surfacing Moderate AI material and texture generation is real and improving - it can dress a surface or propose a look quickly. What stays human: shot-final consistency, correct material response, and matching textures across an asset and across shots.
FX / simulation Mixed FX splits sharply by the task, which is why this one is a band rather than a single verdict. Where the look is a well-learned natural pattern - ocean surface, smoke, fire, clouds - AI can produce convincing results fast, and a full 3D simulation would be slow and expensive. But where a shot needs precise, art-directable behaviour - exact timing, interacting with specific geometry, hitting a director's note - AI still drifts and makes mistakes, so studios fall back to controllable 3D sims. So how much AI can do here honestly depends on the shot.
Look dev / shading Low Some AI material assists exist, but production look development - shaders that respond correctly to light in every shot - is still hands-on, because it has to be exact and controllable. What stays human: nearly all of it.
Lighting Low AI relighting is promising but still research-stage for production. What stays human: the lighting decisions themselves - mood, motivation, continuity and matching across a sequence - which are deliberate creative choices.
Your focus area? Jump to the role: Modeler · Surfacing Artist · FX TD · Look Dev Artist · Lighting Artist
Tools: Maya, Blender, 3ds Max, Photoshop, Unity (context - we score the work, not the program)
Rigger Low
Job ads
0 of 38
AI can do
Low
Rigging Low Auto-rig tools handle standard bipeds and take care of the boilerplate. What stays human: creature, facial and complex rigs, and the deformation and controls animators actually need to perform with.
Tools: Maya, Blender, Unreal Engine, After Effects, Unity (context - we score the work, not the program)
Lighting Artist Low
Job ads
4 of 80
AI can do
Low
Lighting Low AI relighting is promising but still research-stage for production. What stays human: the lighting decisions themselves - mood, motivation, continuity and matching across a sequence - which are deliberate creative choices.
Tools: Maya, Unreal Engine, Arnold, Houdini, Nuke (context - we score the work, not the program)
Compositor Low
Job ads
2 of 83
AI can do
Low
Compositing Low AI takes isolated tasks - cleanup, roto, some matte work. What stays human: the precise node-based assembly of a final shot, where every operation must be exact, controllable and consistent across the whole sequence.
Tools: Nuke, Maya, After Effects, Houdini, Photoshop (context - we score the work, not the program)
Creature TD Low
Job ads
0 of 19
AI can do
Low
Rigging Low Auto-rig tools handle standard bipeds and take care of the boilerplate. What stays human: creature, facial and complex rigs, and the deformation and controls animators actually need to perform with.
Tools: Houdini, Maya, VEX (context - we score the work, not the program)
Look Dev Artist Low
Job ads
2 of 24
AI can do
Low
Look dev / shading Low Some AI material assists exist, but production look development - shaders that respond correctly to light in every shot - is still hands-on, because it has to be exact and controllable. What stays human: nearly all of it.
Tools: Maya, Houdini, Nuke (context - we score the work, not the program)