AI-Generated Ghibli
The new image fad in AI-Generated images delighted Studio Ghibli enthusiasts along with reviving copyright and art morals issues. OpenAI’s new image creation model allows users to transform photographs and memes into the work of master animator Hayao Miyazaki, the maker of the Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro classics.
A Viral Fad with Ethical Implications
The software became an instant hit, turning internet fame photos and one’s own photos into Ghibli-like creations. Businessman Janu Lingeswaran, for instance, turned his pet cat Mali into an anime-style photo resembling a cousin of the cats featured in Miyazaki’s films. Some other instances that caught viral attention are a stylized photo of Turkish Olympian shooter Yusuf Dikec at the 2024 Olympics and the iconic “Disaster Girl” meme.
OpenAI has encouraged the trend, with CEO Sam Altman even changing his social media profile picture to a Ghibli-styled portrait. But the company insists that its AI does not copy the work of living artists and only permits general artistic styles.
Miyazaki’s Long-standing Criticism of AI
Studio Ghibli has yet to comment on the AI piece, but previous opinions on artificial intelligence by Miyazaki have been brought up again. In a documentary years ago in 2016, he expressed vehement protest after being shown an AI-produced animation of a grotesque, crawling creature. He chastised AI designers for not being able to understand human suffering and stated, “I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”
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Legal and Copyright Implications
Intellectual property attorneys questioned whether OpenAI had trained the models on Studio Ghibli content without permission. Attorney Josh Weigensberg said that while an artistic “style” in and of itself is not something that can be copyrighted, AI-created artwork containing identifiable aspects of specific works is a potential legal issue. OpenAI has not indicated whether it had licensed model training.
Artist Karla Ortiz, a defendant in a complaint against AI image creation software, condemned OpenAI for profiting off the name of Studio Ghibli. She called the trend “an insult” to artists and blamed the company for leveraging the Ghibli brand to market its products.
Controversial Application by the United States Government
The anger intensified as the official White House Twitter account posted a Ghibli-style AI image of a woman in detention, which caused outrage. Ortiz condemned the utilization of Miyazaki’s body of work for this purpose and appealed to Studio Ghibli to seek legal action against OpenAI.
As AI art gets better, the debate over copyright, creativity, and the future of human art is yet to be resolved.
