EXCLUSIVE: Banijay has struck a deal with Toon Boom Animation that will see it hand over kids content to test the software firm’s AI tools in exchange for gaining early access to the tools.

The deal for the Banijay Kids & Family division, which makes and sells the likes of Mr Bean and Totally Spies!, comes with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on the horizon, where artificial intelligence will no doubt dominate conversation once again.

Banijay will give content to Canada’s Toon Boom to test its tools in “real studio conditions.” In response, Toon Boom will hand Banijay early access to a pipeline of upcoming features powered by Ember AI. The firm will also give Banijay visibility of its “2-to-3-year product roadmap” for tools including Harmony, Storyboard Pro and Producer.

Toon Boom said “the ultimate goal of this transparency is to tackle the actual bottlenecks modern animation studios face today – specifically helping creators accelerate delivery times without losing their unique creative voice.”

Both parties stressed the “strict ethical and operational guardrails” attached to the deal. While Banijay is handing over content to help test tools, it said this will in no way be used to train AI models.

Banijay Kids CEO Benoît Di Sabatino said: “Rather than waiting for off-the-shelf AI tools, we want to be at the forefront of evolving our own solutions. The ambition is to enhance rather than disrupt the creative and address the growing demand for faster and more efficient pipelines. Choosing Toon Boom as our partner was key, as its software solutions have long been developed with deep respect for the artists, technicians, and creative workflows that define our sector.”

Toon Boom boss Colin Bohm added: “At Toon Boom, we’ve always built our tools in close dialogue with the artists and studios who use them. This partnership with Banijay Kids & Family deepens that commitment. Together, we’re demonstrating that responsible AI adoption and creative ambition can go hand in hand.”

Toon Boom clients include Disney Television Animation, Fox Television Animation and Toei Animation.

AI dominated chatter at last year’s Annecy, with around 150 representatives of international animation, screenwriters and actors guilds staging a protest to voice fears over the implications of generative AI for their professions.

Banijay executives will be out in force at Annecy next week.