Luc Schurgers, founder of REPLIKANT, is rethinking what it means to animate in the age of AI. In this interview, he explains why traditional workflows fall short, how REPLIKANT bridges live-action spontaneity with 3D control, and where the ethical lines are drawn in a world of synthetic media. From the risks of “AI slop” to the promise of scalable creativity, Luc offers a grounded perspective on where storytelling is headed—and why it still needs a human core.
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Your journey in digital innovation spans viral marketing, interactive campaigns, and now AI-powered 3D animation. What pivotal moment or project inspired you to launch REPLIKANT, and how does it address a gap in the industry?
There wasn’t a single “aha” moment, but rather a culmination of frustrations and insights gained over years of working on digital and interactive campaigns. I was always drawn to the energy of working on set—collaborating with actors, set designers, and cinematographers—but equally captivated by the limitless creative potential of animation. The problem was, traditional animation pipelines are slow, technical, and rigid, making rapid ideation or quick creative changes nearly impossible. With REPLIKANT, I wanted to merge the spontaneity and creative freedom of live-action with the flexibility of AI-driven 3D animation. Our goal was to build a tool I wished existed: something that lowered the technical barriers to entry and made real-time, high-quality animated content creation fast, intuitive, and scalable, especially for today’s demand for high-volume, low-cost content.
AI-driven 3D character creation and animation have the potential to democratize digital storytelling. What are the biggest technical and creative challenges you’ve had to overcome to make this technology accessible to both professionals and beginners?
The biggest challenge has been abstracting away the deep technical complexity of 3D and real-time engines like Unreal, which traditionally require years of specialized training. Creating high-quality animated content usually demands not only an understanding of game engines but also proficiency in 3D modeling, rigging, lighting, and industry-specific workflows. With REPLIKANT, our goal was to simplify this without compromising creative control. That meant standardizing assets, optimizing performance across different hardware, and building an intuitive interface that works in “easy mode” for beginners while offering a seamless transition to more advanced features for professionals. We’ve made it so users can gradually expose more controls as they grow, aligning with industry standards in areas like lighting and timelines. It’s about empowering storytellers at any skill level to bring their ideas to life—fast, beautifully, and without needing to be technical experts.
REPLIKANT operates at the intersection of AI, machine learning, and real-time animation. How do you balance automation with the creative input that human artists bring to digital production?
Striking that balance is core to REPLIKANT’s philosophy—we see AI as a tool to accelerate creativity, not replace it. Unlike fully generative platforms, we deliberately avoid automating everything. Prompting alone doesn’t feel creatively fulfilling to most artists—it’s not the same as crafting something yourself. Our principle is simple: if a user can’t modify or control an element, it doesn’t belong in the workflow. That’s why REPLIKANT gives creators the ability to dive deep when they want—setting cameras, adjusting lighting, refining animation—while also offering AI-assisted shortcuts to speed things up when needed. We’ve also designed the tool to be welcoming to artists who may not want to use AI at all. For those who do, we’re adding a generative render layer to enhance visual quality without compromising control. Ultimately, this is a tool for people who enjoy being part of the creative process and want to keep learning, not a plug-and-play system for instant results. Creativity deserves more than that.
As AI-generated content becomes more lifelike, ethical concerns arise, particularly regarding deepfakes and synthetic media. How do you ensure that REPLIKANT’s technology is used responsibly?
We’ve thought about this a lot, and while it’s difficult to enforce ethical use purely at the product level, we’ve built in safeguards where possible, like content filters and restrictions on automated outputs. That said, we don’t believe in policing individual creativity, especially when users are building content manually. REPLIKANT isn’t built for hyper-realistic impersonation or deepfakes; our approach focuses on stylized, expressive 3D animation rather than photorealism. Even with features like avatar creation or generative rendering, the outputs aren’t convincing enough to fool someone into believing they’re real people. Our priority is creative control, not cloning identities. Frankly, I find the deepfake trend alarming, and I believe more responsibility lies with distribution platforms to enforce stricter content moderation. It’s troubling that fake celebrity endorsements and synthetic scams are still so widespread. While we stay vigilant, REPLIKANT is designed to empower artists, not deceive audiences.
You’ve led award-winning projects across industries, from gaming to advertising. How do you see AI reshaping storytelling in media and entertainment over the next five years?
I’m honestly quite conflicted. On one hand, I worry about a future saturated with derivative, AI-generated content—what some call “AI slop”—that looks polished but lacks soul. I’ve spent years in production environments where the human element—the late nights, the banter on set, the imperfections—is what made the work special. I fear that might disappear as generative models trained on existing media flood the landscape with recycled narratives, making it harder for truly original or meaningful stories to break through. That said, there’s real promise in AI lowering barriers to entry. As someone who’s long wanted to make a film but knows how inaccessible that process can be, I’m excited by the idea that AI might empower storytellers with unconventional ideas, especially those that don’t fit neatly into commercial molds. In gaming, though, I’m skeptical. Game design isn’t just about assets—it’s about mechanics, systems, and player experience. AI hasn’t shown it can meaningfully innovate there yet. Advertising, on the other hand, is overdue for disruption. It’s a wasteful industry in many ways, and AI will automate much of the execution. But ironically, the more strategic and interpersonal aspects—client management, brand positioning—will become even more crucial. And maybe the overload of generic content will force us to reset, away from algorithmic sameness and back toward the more idiosyncratic, pre-social media internet that fostered real creativity.
Conversational AI and digital companions are gaining traction in both business and entertainment. What role do you see them playing in the future, and how is REPLIKANT contributing to their evolution?
Absolutely—this is one of the most exciting and also most sensitive areas in AI. At REPLIKANT, we’ve spent the past year and a half reorienting our platform to enable truly dynamic, real-time conversational agents that go far beyond scripted, robotic exchanges. Our tech supports the creation of intelligent, animated characters that can function as everything from travel agents to DJs to film critics—all within immersive, media-rich environments. That opens up powerful use cases in education and entertainment.
But with that power comes risk. We’re very mindful of the emotional weight these interactions can carry. There have already been troubling reports of chatbots negatively influencing users, even pushing vulnerable individuals toward harmful behavior. That’s why we’ve chosen to steer away from building romantic or emotionally dependent AI companions. While users can technically create what they want, we focus our platform’s default experience on education and entertainment spaces where these agents can safely and meaningfully enhance human learning and creativity.
We also reject the “move fast and break things” ethos when it comes to emotionally intelligent AI. These systems interact with people at a deeply human level, and we believe they should be rolled out slowly, tested thoroughly, and improved iteratively. Unfortunately, much of the industry is still driven by scale and short-term metrics, and I worry we’re repeating the same mistakes made with social media—only faster and with higher stakes.
That said, when developed responsibly, the potential is immense. One school, for instance, is using REPLIKANT to build curriculum-aligned AI tutors that combine personalized instruction with interactive visuals, sounds, and video. That kind of tailored, engaging learning experience is exactly the kind of future we want to build, just not at the cost of people’s emotional well-being
Many AI-driven animation tools still require a learning curve. What strategies have you implemented at REPLIKANT to ensure that even non-technical creators can intuitively bring their ideas to life?
That’s something we thought deeply about from day one. Most tools either go too simple, sacrificing flexibility, or too complex, intimidating less technical users. At REPLIKANT, we took the opposite route from most startups: we built the advanced version first. We designed a solid, powerful core that could satisfy technical users and scale across use cases. Once that was in place, we created simplified layers on top of it—so beginners can get started with just five intuitive steps, while more advanced creators can dive deeper when they’re ready.
This dual-mode approach powers both our REPLIKANT Editor and REPLIKANT Chat. In the Editor, for example, you can start in “Easy Story Mode,” which gets you to publishable content with almost no effort. But under the hood, everything you do is mirrored in a full-featured editor. That allows users to learn gradually, build confidence, and eventually create more sophisticated experiences—all within the same code base and UI framework.
It’s not the fastest or cheapest way to build a product, especially in a startup environment. But it gives us long-term stability and flexibility. REPLIKANT Chat, for instance, was built off the same foundation as the Editor, just with a different interface. That modularity means we can now spin up new applications—whether for games, interactive storytelling, or character-driven utilities—without rebuilding from scratch.
Another big upside is user-generated content. Because we’ve built an editor that’s powerful but accessible, creators can build content once and push it across different REPLIKANT applications. That generates a flywheel effect: people experience something cool, realize they can make it themselves, and get drawn deeper into the creative process.
Ultimately, our goal is to move beyond the current paradigm of prompt-driven content. I’d hate to see a future where creativity gets reduced to typing prompts into boxes. Animation and storytelling should be joyful, immersive, and hands-on. Our tools aim to bring that passion and satisfaction back—even for people who’ve never touched 3D software or written code.
With the rise of real-time animation and performance capture, do you think traditional animation workflows will become obsolete, or will they evolve alongside AI-powered solutions?
I don’t think traditional animation will ever become obsolete—it’s an art form, and one that requires deep knowledge of movement, timing, and emotional nuance. What we’re likely to see is evolution, not replacement. Tools like performance capture and AI-assisted animation can take care of the most labor-intensive or repetitive parts of the process—clean-up, in-betweens, lip sync, etc., freeing up artists to focus on the expressive, creative work that machines can’t replicate.
At REPLIKANT, for instance, we haven’t implemented keyframe animation yet, but we recognize its value. There’s a unique creative satisfaction in character posing, blocking, and refining motion that many animators enjoy. We want to preserve that and build around it, not replace it.
That said, AI is clearly being trained on existing styles, especially from studios like Disney and Pixar. That raises real questions about how new animation languages and visual styles will emerge if the tools only replicate what’s already been done. Originality comes from human vision, from pushing against convention. So it’s important that we don’t let automation flatten that diversity of expression.
Performance capture is incredibly powerful for blocking out scenes, and whether you’re using optical or inertial mocap or an AI-assisted tool, it gives creators a fast, fun way to start. But once the base is there, artists still need full control to finesse, correct, and add soul to the performance. AI should accelerate the process, not take creative agency away.
This is especially important in today’s fast-moving content landscape. Not everyone has the luxury of time or budget to craft every frame by hand. So the question becomes: would you rather have a limited time and still get to make your project, or not make it at all? For most creators, the answer is: “I’ll take the time I can get and make something.” AI helps make that possible—but it shouldn’t override the creator’s vision.
The risk is that we’ll see more content made purely for views or monetization, driven by trends, not passion. And while there are always going to be people chasing virality, that kind of work usually doesn’t hold up. Over time, audiences can feel the difference between content made with care and content made for clicks.
For me, this is personal. I didn’t grow up in a family of filmmakers or go to elite schools. But I had a computer early on, and I had a drive to make weird, expressive things. That blend of creativity and technology shaped my path. And I truly believe: if you’re passionate about the craft—whether that’s animation, storytelling, or real-time performance—there’s a future for you. The tools are changing, but the heart of the work remains the same.
Your career blends technology, movement, and design seamlessly. Looking back, what early experiences or influences shaped your approach to innovation and creativity?
For me, it all started with tinkering. I got my first computer at 8—a 386 with dial-up—and no one in my house knew how to use it, not even my parents. They got it because it was seen as the “future,” but it was up to me to figure it out. Back then, without the internet, it was a lot of trial and error—downloading games off BBS systems, dealing with slow downloads, and troubleshooting when something didn’t work. My parents always encouraged me to fix things when I broke them, and that hands-on problem-solving mindset stuck with me. I was also inspired by my mom’s creativity—she made art out of seashells, wood, you name it. Then, my dad gave me the computer side of things. But it wasn’t just about tech. It was about getting curious, diving in, and figuring out how things work. I think that hands-on experience, that exposure to creativity and technology from a young age, shaped the way I approach innovation now.
If you could create a digital version of yourself using REPLIKANT’s technology, what would its purpose be, and how would it represent your vision for the future of AI-driven creativity?
If I could create a digital version of myself using REPLIKANT’s tech, I’d want it to be something unique and a bit out there. I’ve always liked weird things, and that’s reflected in my online persona, a space alien bounty hunter with a cowboy hat and reptilian skin. I think a lot of people want to be something different in the digital world, not just clones of themselves. The internet used to be this anonymous, creative space, back when we had dial-up modems and chat rooms, and there was something magical about that freedom.
Nowadays, I think we’ve lost a lot of that individuality, especially with how much personal info we’re expected to put out there. For me, the future of digital creativity is about having avatars that can change depending on your mood, your day, or your vibe. It’s not about creating a perfect AI-driven version of ourselves, but more about embracing the freedom to be whoever you want at any given moment. My space cowboy reptilian avatar captures that feeling of not being tied to any one version of me, and I think that’s the future I want to see in AI-powered creativity—something fun, unique, and ever-evolving.