"Unlimited Detail" A revolution in animation?

I read a Game Informer article the other day about this new technology that, if it does all the creator says it can, could possibly change the game of animation and graphics. Here's the GI article.

Rather than use polygons--which are essentially flat pictures put together to look 3D--this system imitates how the real world works by building things out of "atoms" in the virtual world. This allows for incredible detail and scalability. If you don't want to read the long article, here is Euclideon's YouTube page.

What I think is important is how much the developer emphasizes this won't replace artists; there's always the concept of fiction versus non-fiction. What do y'all think about it?