Even with rapid AI progress, game studios still hire human animators, including many students and recent graduates from Southeast Asia, who work for substantially lower pay than artists in the West or Japan.

Modern AI tools can write code, generate visual assets, and synthesize real-time voice-overs, enabling studios to replace some human labor.

Video game studios have long used artificial intelligence to control non-player characters, manage crowds, and adjust difficulty, a lineage that predates consumer AI chatbots.

Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam are highlighted as sources of affordable talent, where newer graduates can contribute to character animation at reduced costs.

The piece points to a growing trend of balancing cost savings from AI with continued reliance on Southeast Asian talent for high-quality animation.