LOBO's Luis Ribeiro Says AI Can’t Emulate Empathy
August 5, 2025
In 1984, Ridley Scott was hired to direct a 60-second Super Bowl spot, launching a new tech company.
Tapped for his cinematic eye and signature world-building, he was expected to deliver something epic, an ad that echoed Orwell’s 1984 and rivalled the visual ambition of Alien or Blade Runner. But when the budget was slashed, he got scrappy. Scott rounded up a few skinheads, doused them in flour, and used mirrors to create the illusion of a massive, dystopian crowd. The spot worked. And that gritty workaround helped introduce one of the most iconic brands of our time: Apple.
As animators, we’ve always adapted to new tools.
What made that commercial memorable had nothing to do with the mirrors or flour. It worked because of the clarity and imagination behind it - Scott’s ability to shape limited resources into something visually unforgettable.
Today, that same conversation surrounds AI.
As animators, we’ve always adapted to new tools. Rotoscoping, performance capture, digital painting... each innovation has reshaped the way we work. AI has already entered our pipelines and is shaping how we build, composite, refine, and stylise. It’s part of the process now. The focus has shifted to how it’s being used, and who is making the decisions.
More on shots!