Autodesk Media & Entertainment
For more than two decades, Autodesk Research has been investigating how artificial intelligence can make 3D content creation simpler, faster, and ultimately, more creative.
As perspectives on AI continue to evolve, from enthusiasm to concern (as outlined in Autodesk’s 2025 Design & Make Report), Autodesk remains focused on a clear goal: building technology that supports a more resilient, efficient, and creative media and entertainment (M&E) ecosystem.
While the industry’s AI journey is still in its early stages, today’s research will shape tomorrow’s tools. That’s why Hilmar Koch, director of research for M&E at Autodesk, took the stage at the 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) to share Autodesk’s vision for what’s next, and what his team is building to get there.
Koch introduced a series of experimental projects, ranging from animation to world building, designed to ease production demands and give artists more time and freedom to focus on creativity. Read on or watch the session to see the projects making that possible.
Please note: Some of the following projects are research projects and are not currently available commercially.
Automate character motion with MotionMaker
Animators are under constant pressure to move faster, without sacrificing creative control. MotionMaker was developed by Autodesk Research and delivered to artists in Maya 2026.1 this June to support that balance.
MotionMaker is a machine learning model built into Maya that generates character locomotion for humans and animals. Artists can define motion paths or set just a few keyframes, and the model animates movement that reflects each character’s unique form.
MotionMaker is built to understand form, weight, and intent, making movement more intuitive and expressive, while ensuring that artistic decisions remain firmly in the hands of the creator. Animators bring personality to every movement, especially hero characters, and MotionMaker is designed to preserve that.
“It gives animators time back, not to crank out more shots, but to explore, experiment, and really craft the perfect performance,” said Senior Principal Research Scientist and one of MotionMaker’s creators, Evan Atherton, in a recent interview. “What we hope is that this tool can handle some of the stuff animators either don’t want to do or find time-consuming, so they can focus on what excites them creatively.” MotionMaker offers a solid starting point for background or supporting motion, giving artists the choice of when to use it and when to take full control.
Gain control over GenAI with Project Bernini
Autodesk’s AI research is not limited to entertainment. It’s designed to scale across disciplines and applications. One perfect example is Project Bernini, an experimental generative AI model for 3D shape creation.
Bernini can generate models from a variety of inputs like 2D images, text prompts, voxels, or point clouds, speeding up the creative exploration across design stages. Autodesk’s collaboration with Electronic Arts (EA) yielded valuable insights that are now shaping the research team’s approach to 3D shape generation and model development moving forward.
“We expect models to be commonplace,” said Rick Stringfellow, Fellow at EA. “What we look for from Autodesk are integrated tools and workflows.”
Still, generative AI presents challenges. Language can be ambiguous. Koch notes that a prompt like “a door that’s half open” may yield unpredictable results. The key is decomposing the request into specific parameters, like an opening range of 0 to 178 degrees over three seconds. This kind of control is essential for creators and while it’s not yet available in Project Bernini, Autodesk understands that it must bring that level of control to creatives in the future.
“This is what we’re trying to do with Bernini, create a representation of geometry that’s more intuitive and controllable,” said Koch. “That’s the journey we’re on.”
Currently in development, Project Bernini aims to offer both the acceleration of AI and the nuanced control required by 3D artists.
Working with creatives while developing models is mission-critical. Instead of looking at the competition, we must listen to the people who will use our products.
Visualize story development with PlotMap
Every successful project starts with a strong story but ensuring that environments and characters support that narrative is still a major production challenge.
To address this, Autodesk Research developed PlotMap, a proof-of-concept tool that allows creators to test story interactions in a 3D environment, before production begins.
“We analyzed abstract language from books, novels, and screenplays to generate maps that stay logically aligned with the script,” explained Koch.
By functioning like a dynamic storyboard, PlotMap helps artists and directors simulate how characters behave and evolve within a scene. The goal: bring story development into an interactive, visual format that allows for earlier and more confident creative decisions.
Keep iteration in your hands
Following Koch’s presentation of MotionMaker, Bernini, and PlotMap, the most important moment came during the audience Q&A. Because progress doesn’t happen in isolation. It begins with listening to the people who use the tools every day.
“Working with creatives while developing models is mission-critical,” Koch said. “Instead of looking at the competition, we must listen to the people who will use our products.”
Attendees called for AI tools that better support iteration and refinement. Koch acknowledged that today’s models excel at idea generation, but not refinement. That, he said, is where Autodesk is focused: making AI a partner in creative iteration.
When asked about the risks of AI misuse, Koch emphasized the importance of ethics and accountability. He reaffirmed Autodesk’s commitment to releasing products that have rigorous data privacy safeguards in place.
“We take it seriously, and we think it through,” Koch said. “We started with our own trust principles, and we are starting to be consulted by others, because what is happening in media and entertainment is rippling through other industries.”
See boundless creativity
So, what is the future of content creation? We believe it’s one where more people can create, and where those who already do can do it more efficiently.
This set of AI research projects each tackle a different part of the production process, but all are united by a shared goal: reducing friction in production so that more time and energy can be spent on creativity.
These projects are designed not only to enhance the workflows of today’s professionals, but to open the door for tomorrow’s creators. As Koch explains, generative tools like Bernini could do for 3D what language models have done for programming, helping new users take the first step.
“I think everyone will try it, just like everybody tries out language models, image generators, and video generators today,” said Koch. “People without technical training in Maya or 3ds Max or complex systems can get something to iterate over or play with, just like how language models help programmers start coding.”
Koch and his team remain committed to building AI that expands creative access while continuing to support the professionals who rely on Autodesk tools to earn a living.
Learn more about the work done by Autodesk Research.
Discover how artists are creating without limits today using Autodesk Design & Make software.