AI Takes on Ghibli : Artificial intelligence-generated images from OpenAI’s latest image tool have taken social media by storm after the company relaxed its rules on artistic styles. Users quickly embraced the tool to create AI-generated visuals in the signature style of Studio Ghibli, the renowned animation studio behind classics like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.
At first, people used the tool to create Ghibli-style portraits of themselves and their friends. But soon, the trend expanded to historical moments, including controversial recreations of events like the 9/11 attacks, John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and the infamous “Saigon Execution” photograph. Even the White House’s official X account joined in, posting an AI-generated Ghibli-style image of a woman being arrested by an ICE officer, which it claimed depicted a recently arrested fentanyl dealer.
A Debate on AI, Art, and Ethics
The viral trend reignited concerns about AI’s impact on artists and copyright laws. OpenAI’s decision to allow broader artistic styles—including the beloved Ghibli aesthetic—raises questions about whether AI-generated imitations should be regulated.
On Tuesday, OpenAI unveiled its updated image-generation tool alongside more lenient guidelines on what users could create. While it still prevents the imitation of living artists’ styles, it now permits broader artistic themes, including well-known studio aesthetics.
This decision has further fueled debates over whether AI companies should compensate artists for using their work in training datasets. Many lawsuits are currently in progress, challenging AI companies’ right to scrape copyrighted images from the internet. Despite legal uncertainties, AI firms argue that these tools democratize creativity, allowing more people to bring artistic visions to life.
“AI lab employees should not be the arbiters of what people should and shouldn’t be allowed to create,” OpenAI’s head of product, Joanne Jang, wrote on X, defending the company’s decision.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman himself embraced the trend, updating his profile picture to a Ghibli-style version of himself and later acknowledging that the company had to slow access to the tool due to overwhelming demand.
Artists Push Back: ‘An Insult to Creativity’
Studio Ghibli, founded by legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, is known for its painstakingly hand-drawn frames and dreamlike watercolor aesthetics. Miyazaki, a staunch critic of AI-generated art, once called AI technology “an insult to life itself” in a 2016 video.
As Ghibli-style AI images flooded social media, many artists voiced frustration. Some accused OpenAI of exploiting Miyazaki’s distinct artistic vision without permission, while others argued that the AI-generated artwork lacked the craftsmanship and soul of real animation.
“The sad part isn’t that AI is generating Ghibli-style art—imitation is inevitable,” poet Puneet Sharma wrote on X. “What’s sad is that most users know nothing of Miyazaki, nor do they grasp the difference between process and processed, between creation as a journey and consumption as a shortcut.”
Ben Zhao, a University of Chicago computer science professor and co-creator of Glaze—a tool designed to protect artists from AI mimicry—criticized OpenAI for capitalizing on Studio Ghibli’s legacy. He also pointed out the irony in OpenAI claiming to protect the work of living artists while simultaneously enabling mass reproduction of Ghibli’s style.
The Future of AI-Generated Art
AI-generated art has been at the center of controversy since OpenAI first released ChatGPT in 2022. Lawsuits from artists, writers, and news organizations argue that AI companies violate copyright law by training their models on existing creative works without permission.
AI firms counter that their models fall under fair use, a legal principle that allows creative reinterpretation of existing work. However, with major court rulings still months away, the legal and ethical boundaries of AI-generated content remain uncertain.
The Ghibli-style AI trend mirrors past viral moments, such as the 2022 explosion of AI-generated portraits using the app Lensa. While users eagerly shared AI-enhanced selfies in artistic styles, artists decried the app for profiting off copyrighted styles without proper attribution or compensation.
As AI technology advances, the debate over artistic ownership, fair use, and the ethics of AI-generated content is likely to intensify. For now, OpenAI’s move to “Ghiblify” the internet highlights both the creative possibilities and the controversies that come with AI’s growing role in the art world.
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