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CyberAgent Also Establishes Animation AI Lab

CyberAgent announced on Wednesday that it has established a new business unit named "Animation AI Lab," which will focus on researching and developing processes for animation production using generative artificial intelligence and large language models. CyberAgent's previously established "AI Lab" research and development group and its Game & Entertainment Division's AI strategic unit co-founded the new unit. The new unit will focus on areas such as generating backgrounds, character images, character animation, sound, and music.

CyberAgent also established a similar AI-focused business unit named "Game AI Lab" on Wednesday, with the unit focused on game development.

CyberAgent established its AI Lab group in 2016, and it debuted its first large language model based on Japanese in May 2023.

CyberAgent established Cygames in 2011, and the company has produced games such as Rage of Bahamut and Granblue Fantasy. Cygames established an anime division in March 2015 and the anime production subsidiary Cygames Pictures in April 2016. The company has worked on anime productions inspired by its games including Rage of Bahamut Genesis, Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul, and Granblue Fantasy the Animation.

CyberAgent and Cygames established the CA-Cygames Anime Fund in June 2017. The fund has allowed both companies to invest in anime production committees, acquire streaming rights, and acquire game adaptation rights. Some of the anime in which the fund has invested include Hinomaru Zumō, Zombie Land Saga, and As Miss Beelzebub Likes.

Kadokawa Corporation formed a capital alliance with CyberAgent, Inc. and Sony in February 2021 with the goals to strengthen the Global Media Mix Strategy to expand Kadokawa's IPs worldwide, and to cooperate with CyberAgent and Sony for "mutual exploitation of each other's business, expertise, and other strengths."

CyberAgent acquired stage production company Nelke Planning in June.

Sources: CyberAgent, Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)

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Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.