Digital Domain launches DDAI to merge CGI with generative AI

VFX house Digital Domain has launched DDAI, which combines CGI pipelines with generative AI.

Digital Domain describes DDAI as “an AI infrastructure specifically designed to meet the demands of modern film and episodic production”, and says it “marks a new era in how Digital Domain collaborates with directors, studios, and creative teams”.

Matt Smith, Digital Domain creative development director of AI, will lead DDAI. He said: “Generative AI is advancing rapidly. Through DDAI, we provide a powerful framework of artist-driven tools seamlessly integrated into our traditional production pipeline. DDAI is built around model provenance, data security, and transparent usage.” 

Smith will lead a team of generative AI artists, researchers, and engineers who have spent years collaborating with filmmakers and studios while rigorously testing processes, says Digital Domain.

“Technology has always changed the way artists create, but the heart of storytelling has never changed,” said Sudhir Reddy, president of global VFX business at Digital Domain. “With DDAI, we’re building tools that help artists and our pipeline be more efficient – to iterate, discover, and refine ideas in real-time while keeping creativity firmly human-led. We believe AI should amplify artistry, not automate it away. That means using these tools ethically and transparently, always in collaboration with the people behind the work. Our mission is simple: empower artists to tell better stories and push creative boundaries further than ever before.”

Digital Domain believes that CGI and generative AI “are not opposing forces; rather, they complement each other”, so DDAI enables a hybrid production model that integrates into existing pipelines while also offering a fully generative track for projects that require speed, scale, or a completely new creative approach.

Digital Domain’s visualisation team is the first to adopt DDAI. AI concept artists are now involved at every stage, enabling faster alignment on visuals and design, reducing last-minute revisions, and, says Digital Domain, returning creative decision-making to directors earlier in the production process.

“Integrating DDAI into our visualisation pipeline enables us to secure early approvals on look and design, significantly shortening production timelines and allowing directors to rapidly iterate on their vision at a stage of the process that simply wasn’t possible before,” said Matt McClurg, head of visualisation at Digital Domain.