DLE, Inc.

DLE President and CEO Ryo Ono expressed the view that AI anime will not take over existing markets but will instead create entirely new markets that did not exist before. Ono cited the flash animation market that his company once pioneered as an example, explaining that its low-cost, quick-turnaround production style did not replace TV anime but instead formed new markets such as advertising expressions and corporate projects. He said AI could similarly meet demand that the traditional three-to-four-year production framework cannot handle, such as rapidly turning trending social media content into video or enabling timely corporate advertising campaigns. Overseas, platformers like Netflix and Amazon see AI not merely as an efficiency tool but as a technology that supports mass production of short-form content and multilingual expansion, though challenges such as character consistency remain for feature-length anime production at present. Ono suggested that an era of banning bad AI rather than banning AI outright will eventually arrive, stressing that creators will need advanced directorial skills to evaluate and curate AI output, and that the importance of talent development remains unchanged. He indicated that the spread of AI anime hinges more on generational change than on technological progress, and that it will become more mainstream as younger generations feel less resistance to it.

DLE has launched an AI studio, embarking on the development of new visual expression through AI rather than replacing existing animation production processes. CEO Ryo Ono explains that the small-team, short-turnaround Flash animation style the company has cultivated is highly compatible with generative AI, and that the improvement in image generation AI accuracy from around 2025 prompted the decision to establish a full-fledged AI studio. Currently, the Flash animation studio and the AI studio operate as separate organizations, with the AI studio bringing together creators from live-action backgrounds and focusing on talent development that emphasizes direction and storytelling. On the other hand, AI is seen as a technology that amplifies human creativity rather than generating ideas on its own, and the company takes a cautious view on AI animation production in terms of the value of hand-drawn work and social acceptance.