Square Enix and Mantra to use AI to streamline manga editing

When we hear about artificial intelligence in the manga industry, the fandom usually lights the torches almost by instinct. However, this time the technology arrives to solve a real problem without undermining human art. The publishing giant Square Enix has joined forces with the Tokyo-based company Mantra to develop a revolutionary AI-powered tool called Mantra Engine, specifically designed to automate the grueling process of typesetting and text editing on the pages of our favorite stories.

Goodbye to heavy repetitive tasks

For those unfamiliar with the work behind the scenes, arranging the text, choosing font sizes, and positioning the characteristic speech bubbles is a manual process that consumes more than 3,000 hours of work per year for editors. The most important and commendable aspect of this new technology is that it respects the creative process: it does not generate new text, it does not alter the mangakas' drawings, and it does not use third-party works to train its database. It simply streamlines the most tedious and technical part of production so that chapters arrive flawlessly to magazines and digital platforms.

A tool for the entire industry

The main goal of Square Enix is not to replace staff, but to free its editors from this routine burden so they can dedicate their time to what really matters: supporting the development of stories alongside the authors. Although the Mantra Engine is currently in a strict internal testing phase, executives have highly ambitious plans. Once the tool functions perfectly, they intend to offer it as an open service for other manga publishers, forever changing the pace of work in Japan.

Considering that weekly publication is brutally demanding for everyone involved, do you think this new implementation of technology marks the beginning of a much healthier and less stressful work environment for the industry's creators and editors?