Fuck AI

I think you're asking exactly the right question. I have seen even fellow 3D artists struggle with answering this. Where is the legitimacy when a machine does work for me? and what -as an artist- do I bring to the table? As an illustrator and 3D animator, my answer is : intent. As long as I am controlling the important variables, I am controlling the gist of my creation. I am creating what I see with my mind's eye, using the sensibility and the motor control that I've developed through years of practice. What my 3D program does for me is essentially give me virtual clay to sculpt with, virtual armatures to rig with, virtual photons to render with. But I'm the one drawing textures, I'm the one handling the paintbrush, moving those controllers in the timeline, ultimately creating that vision. And I think this stays valid even when I'm using an AI texture generator to fill in some secondary stuff I can't be bothered to work hours on : it's not relevant to the intent of the film/picture.