Autodesk has announced a set of AI-driven features for Maya, marking the company’s first direct integration of artificial intelligence into its flagship 3D tool. The additions, presented at AU 2025, centre on generative AI assistants and a new AI-powered animation tool.
The AI Assistants are designed as conversational agents inside Maya’s interface. Autodesk states that they can generate textures, 3D assets, lighting setups, and animation snippets from text prompts. The company positions these assistants as optional helpers that can be invoked when needed, not as replacements for manual workflows. At press time, Autodesk has not specified which generative models underpin these features, or how data is handled during asset generation.
The Graph Assist tool targets animation workflows. Autodesk describes it as a system that interprets natural language commands such as “make this motion loop seamlessly” or “add anticipation before the jump” and then applies the corresponding animation curve adjustments in Maya’s Graph Editor. The exact scope of supported commands and the degree of manual clean-up required remain unclear.
Both features are slated for preview in Maya later this year. Autodesk has not committed to a release date for general availability.
Autodesk’s wider AI strategy
Beyond Maya, Autodesk is promoting AI as a cross-platform strategy. In its official announcement, the company frames AI as part of its long-term plan to integrate generative and assistive systems across Autodesk Flow{:target=”_blank”}, its connected media and entertainment platform.
Autodesk highlights four pillars:
- Assistants: context-aware helpers embedded in tools.
- Graph Assist: language-driven animation adjustments.
- Generative asset creation: models producing textures, props, and environments.
- Automation: background tasks such as clean-up, retargeting, or optimisation.
The vendor states that its AI development follows “responsible AI” principles, including transparency and artist control. However, specific details on training datasets, model providers, or compute infrastructure are not disclosed. Autodesk emphasises that AI will remain optional, with human artists retaining final authority over creative decisions.
Between promise and production
Autodesk’s messaging is consistent: AI should reduce repetitive work and allow artists to spend more time on creative tasks. However, concrete performance data, integration details, and production-tested case studies are not yet available.
Notably, Autodesk has not addressed licensing implications for AI-generated assets, nor has it clarified whether generated content is considered royalty-free for commercial projects. These are critical questions for production teams.
Conclusion
Maya’s AI Assistants and Graph Assist represent Autodesk’s first visible move into AI-assisted 3D creation. The broader strategy signals that similar tools will spread across Autodesk’s media and entertainment products.
As always, production environments demand stability and predictability. Artists and studios should evaluate these AI features in controlled tests before adopting them for active projects.
