Don't hate me, but I think this new AI art tool could have a use

AI art isn't what it was a year ago. For good or bad the tools are here and they're evolving incredibly fast. Working out ways to bring AI tools into your workflow is one of the most current dilemmas facing many digital artists. As Martin Nebelong argues in his opinion piece on 'AI art is only a threat if we let prompt-jockeys take control', learning ways to make AI work for us and not replace us is crucial.

One of these new AI tools that can be a useful addition to your workflow is LeiaPix, which quickly turns 2D illustrations into 3D animation, ideal for bringing a sketch, painting or scene to life. LeiaPix is akin to turning your 2D art into short stereoscopic animations that feel like old lenticular images.

I've tried LeiaPix myself and was taken aback by how good the 3D animated results are; I drop a sketch I made in Procreate on an iPad Pro and watch as loose lines animate with a new perspective. Although at around five seconds this is short and illustrative, it's impressive. You can get the same effect by spending time creating 3D in Photoshop to enhance still images in After Effects, but LeiaPix takes seconds to convert 2D art into short animations. 

I can see how LeiaPix can be an effective tool for artists who need to show clients how concepts could work in motion or sell the emotion of an idea. If you work in Archviz or game concept art and need to quickly see how a design works in motion this could be a good tool. The results here are lower quality than LeiaPix outputs due to our site restrictions on file sizes, but you can see good examples on social media, from artists like @digitalartsensei, @hybridportraits and @benny_drop.

The idea for creating the platform is to enable non-3D creatives the chance to give their 2D digital art a new level of depth, and offers a glimpse of how art can be experienced in a VR headset or AR, but it certainly looks good on a 4K monitor. To find out more I caught up with the developer behind the tool.

"The version that’s available today was designed with a broad audience in mind, from photographers and film-industry professionals to hobbyists and digital creators who want to add depth, dimension and emotion to their work," says LeiaPix director David Sitbon. "In short, if you want to turn a flat image or video into something more engaging with some wow factor, LeiaPix is for you."

The app features tools to enable you to zoom, pan and even dolly shots with an instant preview to test how your animation will look ahead of the final render. The pitch is, LeiaPix is a quick way into 3D animation for 2D artists making it a tool anyone can use. (If you want to create deeper animation, see our guide to the best laptops for animation or 3D modelling.)

"We want to change the perception that the emotion unlocked through 3D content, due in large part to the sense of immersion created by depth, is only for the highly skilled or those with access to expensive software," shares David. "Naturally a 3D experience can’t be replicated on a 2D device, but the platform can give everyone a taste of it, regardless of the type of device they’re using and making it an accessible option for anyone looking to elevate their digital content."

David says Leia Inc takes an ethical view of how AI art tools are developed and used, and LeiaPix has been "grounded in ethical principles, such as using our own data set for training".

You can find the company's rights and privacy policy on its website, as David clarifies: "We're aware of the power of AI and the importance of using it responsibly. This means being transparent about how our technology works, respecting users' control over their content, and making best efforts to manage proper use. For us, it's crucial that LeiaPix remains a tool that supports creativity and innovation without compromising ethical standards."