HU Reacts: ChatGPT's Studio-Ghibli Style Trend

By: Kalorra Smith

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

ChatGPT’s viral Studio Ghibli-style trend highlights copyright concerns about training artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of human artists. 

Fans of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio behind Spirited Away and several other whimsical films, are now able to transform their own personal photos or memes into the company’s distinct style with the help of ChatGPT’s new image generator tool. 

“The trend highlights how AI can creatively reinterpret familiar aesthetics, but it also brings up ethical concerns about originality and crediting the sources that inspired it,” said Elisa Earls, an HU third-year computer science major. 

Ghibli’s co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki, known for his hand-drawn approach to art and animation, has previously expressed concern for AI animation. In an AI demo shown to Miyazaki in 2016, he said he was “utterly disgusted” by it, according to AP News. 

“I believe AI art compromises the integrity of artistry,” said Carrie Shipman, an HU second-year criminal justice major. 

ChatGPT’s parent company, OpenAI, has encouraged the trend and said the new tool would be taking a “conservative approach” that mimics the aesthetics of individual artists, according to AP News.

“Training AI on vast datasets including copyrighted material helps it learn stylistic nuances and generate high-quality content,” said Earls. “On the other hand, using copyrighted works without permission or compensation to artists feels exploitative,” she said. 

According to Josh Weigensberg, a partner at the law firm Pryor Cashman, Ghibli-style AI art raises the questions of whether the AI model was trained on Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli’s work, and whether or not they have a license or permission to do said training, as reported by AP News.

“To me, AI copying someone else’s style to try to blend a bunch of other styles that they stole or “trained” with is a gross misuse of technology,” said Shipman.

The company added a refusal, triggering when a user attempts to generate an image in the style of a human artist, but “permits broader studio styles,” said AP News.

Miyazaki previously stated that he would never wish to incorporate this technology into his work at all, and that “this is an insult to life itself,” according to AP News. 

“Art is often a reflection of lived experience, emotion, and intentional storytelling,” said Earls. “AI lacks consciousness and emotional context. It mimics but does not feel,” she said.

Some students say the Ghibli-style trend may have adverse effects on the livelihoods of human artists. 

“This trend may make it harder for artists to find work, especially in industries that prioritize speed and cost over originality,” said Earls, who says human artists will now be pushed to emphasize authenticity, narrative depth, and emotional resonance. 

AI’s risk of devaluing original work and the possibility of reduced demand for human artists are two major concerns some students say could be negative outcomes of ChatGPT’s new tool.

“There needs to be a balance where creators are acknowledged and protected,” said Earls.