17+ Cartoons Come to Life With Artificial Intelligence Technology

Joe Gardner — Soul Movie

Joe Gardner was a man trying to live his dream as a jazz musician. He was hip, he was cool, he was everything one might imagine a jazz player to be. With this in mind, the original animators gave him a cool hat, hip glasses, and a big smile that he flashed on the regular. While the AI version is not quite as exaggerated as the animation with the giant jaw and tiny head, it is still as cool and hip as it should be.

Olive Oyl — Popeye

Olive Oyl is an icon from the earliest days of animation. She’s a woman who always finds herself stuck in between the affections of the big guy, Pluto, and mister forearms himself, Popeye the sailor man. And she was always energetic and over the top. Her animated character had stick like proportions, with long legs and giant feet, to go along with a long nose and tightly wound hair. Popeye quipped that she’s perfect at 5’7″ with measurements of 19 x 19 x 19. Astonishingly enough, Hidreley and his AI magic found a very close human match to this perpetual damsel in distress.

Tintin — The Adventures of Tintin

Tintin was an investigative journalist who was always working hard to get the story. He did this while relying on his Boy Scout background to keep him honest and wholesome. The original animators of the series gave him that wholesome appearance with a slightly inquisitive look and a bit of a devilish smile. The AI robot did the same, coming up with a young man who looks every bit the innocent, unassuming Boy Scout who appears kind hearted and approachable. These are two traits that make for a good investigative journalist looking to get people to talk to him.

Handsome Hans — Frozen

Handsome Hans might just be the best looking villain in animation movie history. His creators pulled out all the stops in bringing this bad guy to life. He has that squared jaw, powerful red hair, and menacing eyes. But he also had a kind of innocence in his expressions from time to time. This is something that Hidreley and his AI software may have missed out on when they came up with their human version, a man who looks more like the no nonsense, star high-school quarterback than the vulnerable villain in a Disney movie.

Isabela Madrigal — Encanto

Isabela was known as the “perfect” one with her ability to bring flowers to life with the simple wave of a hand, but did she know that there were some who viewed her with contempt for her arrogance and condescension? And, of course, to be a character who floats along with such grace and infallibility, she must look every bit the part with her long, flowing black hair, flawless olive skin, and grandiose eyes. And her AI generated, human version matches up perfectly.

Bruno Madrigal — Encanto

Okay, so Bruno Madrigal was on the outs from his family, but he still had the ability to see into the future which would make him a valuable asset to the story. With this in mind, the animators gave him a bit of a prophetic appearance. He came with long, curly, unkept hair, and a quizzical look on his face, much like you might see with an ancient philosopher. And Hidreley and his AI were able to come up with an almost perfect example of what Bruno might look like if he were a real person.

Prince Naveen — The Princess and the Frog

It’s got to be rough going from being a handsome prince to becoming a frog, but that is exactly what Prince Naveen had to deal with in the flick, The Princess and the Frog. If you’re an animator looking to create a dashing, Indian prince, you go for the olive skin, the square jawline, the flowing hair, and the penetrating eyes. It must have taken the artificial intelligence program quite a bit of time to arrive at the human comparison, but they did come up with a winner who, at a glance, is even more stunning and dashing than the animation.

Apu — The Simpsons

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is mostly recognized as being the Indian who immigrated to the U.S. It was his mission to live the American dream in the most stereotypical way possible, as a clerk at the Springfield Kwik E’Mart. The animators gave his character very dark skin, and an almost Elvis like hairstyle with over-reaching side burns. these were accompanied by a razor thin mustache residing just below an oversized nose. While finding the human version of Apu may seem to be a daunting challenge, artificial intelligence was able to do so in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, in today’s climate of social justice, his stereotypical character was no longer acceptable and so he was removed from the show.

Camilo Madrigal — Encanto

In addition to his ability to shapeshift on stage, all while entertaining the crowd, Camilo Madrigal was a constructive force powered by his eternally positive disposition. To accommodate this, his animators provided him with a face fit with soft dimples and an endearing smile. This, along with his big, curly hair, gentle eyes, and high cheekbones made for a wonderful image. And with the help of his artificial intelligence gear, Hidreley was able to replicate an almost perfect version in human form.

Snow White — Disney’s Snow White

Who doesn’t know the story of Snow White; the young and beautiful lady who was doing everything she could not to be murdered by the notorious queen? In her human form, Hidreley, and the magic of his artificial intelligence program, managed to conjure up quite the looker which eerily matches her animation form all the way down to her radiant eyes, high cheekbones, and charming smile. In the end, this human Snow White could be described as nothing short of stunning.

Moana — Disney’s Moana

Moana, the Polynesian beauty from the movie of the same name, is striking in both physical appearance and her strong will and temperament. Moana, after all, looks to be her peoples hero and so the animators needed to create an appearance that would emphasize her powerful traits, and the result is nothing short of stunning. One would think that replicating such a creation in human form would be a serious challenge, but Hidreley found the exact match, complete with strong cheekbones, huge eyes, and a devilish smile.

Pepa Madrigal — Encanto

Looking for a sunny day, call Pepa; looking for a bit of clouds, call Pepa; prefer some rain, call Pepa. Pepa Madrigal had the special power to control the weather on her whim, which would be a great conversation starter at parties. She could also have a bit of a temper, so best to watch your step. And such a girl is deserving of an expressive face to match her expressive powers, with big eyes, a bright complexion, and a focused appearance. The AI added all of this, but also gave her a bit of a “Don’t mess with me look.”

Princess Tiana — The Princess and the Frog

You would be hard pressed to find as good a cook in the town of New Orleans as Tiana. This culinary talent wanted nothing more than to have a restaurant in New Orleans that she could call her own. Tiana was also on the hunt for that elusive prince. For such a thoughtful and determined character, the animators employed a brilliant smile, high cheekbones, and dazzling eyes to bring her to life. The AI went a step further, making her even more gorgeous and radiant than the original.

Lilo Pelekai — Lilo & Stitch

Out of all the AI generated images on this list, Lilo Pelekai might just be the most accurate and adorable. As a result of being an orphan, this little girl should rightfully don a grumpy scowl, but this is furthest from the truth. Lilo’s expression radiates happiness and optimism. With her wide eyes, tiny dimples, and gentle smile, Lilo Pelekai looks like she could conquer the world with pure joy. And the AI version is every bit as lovable.

Peter Pan — Disney’s Peter Pan

Peter Pan is best known as that quirky little character that managed to fly all over the movie screen as he fought off those evil pirates. The original animators needed to design an image that would portray the expressive and energetic Peter Pan; they were very successful in their efforts. With huge eyes protected by giant red eyebrows that reached to the sky, Peter was unmistakable. There could be no actual human possessing such over the top features, that is until Hidreley and his AI showed up to bring Mr. Pan to life.

Ned Flanders — The Simpsons

Ned Flanders is unmistakable as the paranoid, bible thumping landlord to the Simpson family. For Ned, or simply “Flanders” as he is often called, any questioning of the tenets of the “good book” will be met with shock and disbelief. Flanders would just as soon disown his entire family than permit any derision of the bible. With his brushed back hair, side burns, oversized mustache and googly eyes, coming up with a human doppelganger really wasn’t all that difficult for Hidreley and his AI software.

Ariel — The Little Mermaid

Whether she’s swimming around with singing crabs, or dreaming about landing her handsome prince, Ariel was as beautiful and vivacious as she was fun and energetic. This was not an easy task for even the best AI software to duplicate. But, once again, Hidreley achieved giving his girl fiery red hair, big eyes, and adorable freckles. With such a stunner, there isn’t a prince anywhere in the underwater kingdom that would be able to pass her up.

Lisa Simpson — The Simpsons

Can you think of anyone more qualified to torment Bart Simpson than his sister Lisa? At just eight years old, Lisa is a giant in the family and ahead of her time. She loves to do her own thing regardless of any flack she may get. She also moves through the world fearlessly. Her animation character appears bright and full of wonder, with giant eyes and a big, wide smile. While the AI version is a good likeness, the eyes might be a bit too big for a human. With that said, she does look eternally hopeful and comfortable in her own skin.