Viral Studio Ghibli-style AI images showcase power – and copyright concerns
Just days after OpenAI launched its most advanced AI image generator to date, a social media trend imitating the work of Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli is demonstrating both the technology’s power and the copyright concerns it raises.
The latest update to GPT-4o, released Tuesday, features many practical advancements, including more accurate text rendering and the ability to follow more detailed, complex prompts. But it has also been trained at length on a “vast variety of image styles,” according to a post on OpenAI’s website, stunning users with its ability to generate still images and videos reminiscent of their favorite animations, from “South Park” to classic claymation.
Studio Ghibli-inspired Trend
One style quickly flooded X and Instagram, as users of ChatGPT (and OpenAI’s text-to-video service, Sora) began emulating the work of the beloved animation studio behind movies like “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle.” Some recreated scenes from pop culture or politics in the Japanese company’s iconic style, stirring viral reactions across social media platforms.
Unsurprisingly, some of the most viral posts put a Ghibli spin on popular memes, including the “distracted boyfriend,” the “bro explaining” meme, and the infamous image of Ben Affleck smoking. The trend even extended to transforming real-life events, like Donald Trump and JD Vance’s heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, into Studio Ghibli-style images.
Copyright Controversy and Artistic Ethics
OpenAI’s updated image generator has sparked discussions surrounding the intersection of AI and art, with Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki expressing his disdain for AI-generated art in a 2016 video. OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman also weighed in on the trend, highlighting the challenges and implications of AI-generated content in the artistic realm.
As with many instances of AI-generated art, the Studio Ghibli-style images raise copyright concerns, not only regarding the original works of Studio Ghibli but also the reimagined content generated by AI. When prompted to reproduce Ghibli-style memes, even ChatGPT acknowledged the need to adhere to content policies and copyright regulations.
