Gutierrez has characterized the project as "a big experiment" and stated he will be "as cautious as possible with AI," emphasizing that he wants "artists driving tech, and not the other way around." The full scope of AI integration into the production pipeline remains unclear. What is known: Punky Duck moved from pitch to greenlight in two months—a stark acceleration compared to traditional animation timelines.
The announcement has triggered sharp criticism from animators and fans who view Gutierrez's participation as a departure from his previous public skepticism of AI in creative work. The Book of Life, which took 14 years to complete, became widely recognized for its handcrafted animation. Gutierrez has engaged the criticism publicly on social media, amplifying the dispute beyond a studio announcement into an ongoing industry conversation about automation's role in animation production. Attorneys tracking labor and IP issues in entertainment should monitor how studios formalize AI-assisted production agreements and whether union negotiations follow.